如果非要给长沙臭豆腐加个期限，希望它能“一臭万年”

舌尖上的非遗：如果非要给长沙臭豆腐加个期限，希望它能“一臭万年”

编者按：《舌尖上的非遗》（The ULTIMATE Chinese Food Tour）是CGTN新媒体文化频道为庆祝中华人民共和国成立70周年特别策划的九集系列片。主持人Matthew Arrington Watson深入非遗美食的发源地，向非遗传承人学习美食制作技艺，品尝中华美食，做一个快乐的“吃播”。

在中国，有这样一些神奇的食物——在品尝它们之前，你永远也说不清它们到底是“臭”还是“香”。

臭豆腐便是其中之一，在不同的地域做法不同，形态也各异。长沙臭豆腐，色黑如墨、臭气扑鼻。初见令人退避三舍，常客却对它趋之若鹜。《舌尖上的非遗》第五站，我们寻味来到湖南长沙。从未吃过臭豆腐的Matthew能接受这道“黑暗料理”吗？

Inside the red walls of Changsha's Fiery Palace in central China's Hunan Province is one of the unique dishes I've ever tasted or seen made – stinky tofu.

The dish dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) when a local woman began frying discarded tofu in tea oil and stumbled upon a dish that would become a pillar of Hunan's thriving street food culture.

The entrance of the Fiery Palace in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. /CGTN Photo

在湖南老字号“火宫殿”的餐桌前，Matthew正忙不迭地拒绝一盘臭豆腐。尽管一万个不愿意，但他还是怀着为电视艺术献身的红心，“悲壮”地吞下一块儿臭豆腐，结果——“真香！”

相传清末，姜氏一家经营豆腐生意的老板娘不忍丢弃变质的臭豆腐，用茶油炸制。几经改进后，终于制成了臭豆腐。如果说臭豆腐的诞生是一个意外，那么历经百年的传承则需要用心守护。臭豆腐好不好，关键看卤水。火宫殿的卤水配方正是由发明者姜氏亲传的。

卤水的主要原材料包括香菇、浏阳豆豉、紫苏、冬笋、曲酒等，按比例配好发酵，至少一年半才能发酵完成，之后便可以一直使用。卤水时间越久，臭味越浓重，浸泡的豆腐越有味。

Zhou Houmu, the fourth-generation inheritor of the craft of making Fiery Palace stinky tofu, keeps the tradition near and dear. I met him in the kitchen of the dining area, frying the signature dish.

But before dipping the tofu squares into the hot oil, I had to witness the previous steps firsthand.

The brine that is used to give the tofu its smell and taste is composed of 20 ingredients, which are mixed and left to ferment for at least a year and a half before use. After that, the concoction can be used over and over again, regularly mixing old and new. According to Zhou, the oldest brine held at the Fiery Palace is 10 years old.

Fiery Palace stinky tofu's inheritor Zhou Houmu (R) and I try to avoid touching our clothes after covering our arms in brine in Zhou's kitchen in Changsha, central China. /CGTN Photo

在火宫殿卤水展厅，Matthew跟随火宫殿臭豆腐制作技艺第四代传承人周后目学习如何浸泡臭豆腐。随着搅拌，卤水的臭味源源不断地从缸里冒出，刺激着Matthew的鼻子。从卤水缸里捞出泡好的臭豆腐，更是在挑战Matthew嗅觉的极限——他惊悚地发现自己的手上、身上满是挥之不去的臭味……

The smell in the brine room is intense, as you can see from my reaction in the video. Fresh tofu squares are soaked in the brine for six hours before removal and rinsing, yet much of the color from the jet-black liquid remains.

As I reached my arms into the brine to fish the tofu from the bottom, the smell got even more intense. While I struggled, Zhou said he's become so accustomed to it, he actually likes it now. He also warned me that it would take at least six or seven scrubbings and the rest of the day for the smell to disappear from my arms completely. He was telling the truth.

Frying, a key process which requires skill to avoid overcooking, gives the soft tofu a crispy outer layer, and the dish is served with chili sauce and other seasonings. The flow of people eager to get their hands on a bowl is a steady one.

别看刚从卤水里捞出来的臭豆腐臭不可闻，但高温油炸之后，它的异香能把一整条街的人都吸引过来。

炸臭豆腐十分考验功力。油温高了会苦，油温低了会硬。用恰到好处的火候炸出的臭豆腐，外焦里嫩，一层酥脆的外壳，包裹住一汪嫩豆腐的汁水。佐以麻油、辣酱，轻咬一口，汁水在口中飞溅，鲜辣的香气与淡淡的臭味充斥口腔，丰富的味道和口感简直妙不可言！

尽管臭豆腐是长沙街头当之无愧的明星小吃，但因为其特殊的味道，导致如今许多年轻人都不愿意学习臭豆腐的制作技艺。周老师年轻的时候也曾有过畏难情绪：“我刚开始接触臭豆腐这个行业的时候，也是很不习惯。后面为了把火宫殿臭豆腐制作技艺发扬光大，再苦、再累、再臭，也要坚持。”

正是臭豆腐制作师傅们对这门技艺的守护与传承，臭豆腐才能在历经风雨之后依然风靡街巷。如果非要给长沙臭豆腐加个期限，希望它能“一臭万年”。

Stinky tofu (C) and other dishes popular in central China's Hunan Province. /CGTN Photo

If stinky tofu doesn't interest you, the Fiery Palace is brimming with many other Hunan dishes for every palate. I tried at least 10 and left more than satisfied. The food court is an introduction to Hunan cuisine, and the other restaurants on-site provide some of the finest dishes around made by inheritors.

When you plan a trip to the Fiery Palace, come ready to learn about the history of Hunan street food culture, and be sure to come hungry.

本文转自CGTN公众号