Snack Attack: Munching on Madoufu, Son of Douzhi'er

Vincent R. Vinci, Contributing Editor | Jun 15, 2022 10:03 am | Add a comment | 355 reads

Snack Attack is your weekly guide to the sometimes smelly, sometimes flavorful, sometimes odd munchies to be had in the capital.

If like me, you thought 豆汁儿dòuzhī'er was the end-all of smelly mung bean-by products in the oeuvre that is Beijing munchies, you’re dead wrong. There’s something beyond douzhi’er, and its name is 麻豆腐 mádòufu.

Cobbled together from the dregs of what’s left over after making douzhi’er, in a way you could consider this to be its son, albeit one that got hit by the ugly stick. While it might not be all that nice to look at, though, its flavor isn’t nearly as off-putting as its predecessor.

Upon getting my first bite of madoufu – which I ordered in with some 肉饼ròubǐng to go along with it – my first thought was that it tasted a whole lot like hummus. There’s a hint of the sour douzhi’er flavor hiding in the back, but not so much as to make you think twice before digging in.

This may be because madoufu is cooked with lamb fat, which gives it a bit of a hefty feel after a few bites. In fact, it’s a wonder this is considered a side dish due to that hearty nature, but side dish it is. Nevertheless, I’d be willing to eschew the rules and eat it as a meal, rules be damned!

Topped off with some chili and a bit of green onion, this is a treat to be scarfed down, and it’s no wonder some locals swear by it as a hangover cure.