For diners from other places, black classic has almost become the representative noun of stinky tofu in Changsha, and these four words are often posted on small food trucks moving on the streets of other provinces and cities, overflowing with the "aroma" of stinky tofu along the way. In fact, the black classic is not an old store with a long history, this brand was founded in 2010, and currently has more than ten stores in Changsha, and nearly 1,000 outside the city, and it has also appeared on Hunan Satellite TV's famous variety show "Everyday Upward", so many diners know Changsha stinky tofu from the black classic.
Different from the common stinky tofu, the black classic is not mixed with a strong smell, but the fresh aroma of the sauce and the unique taste of the soy products after frying. After entering the mouth, it is even more "colorful", and the sauce and chili sauce are the only two flavors of the black classic, and the flavor and spicy have their own characteristics. The stinky tofu is very crispy after frying, and the inside is yellow and tender, and the black classic will also "aerate" the stinky tofu before serving, poking small holes to make the juice fully immersed in the tofu, and diners will have a feeling of bursting juice when they bite into it, which also makes it more flavorful than other stinky tofu. In addition to stinky tofu, Changsha sausages, sugar and oil baba, boneless chicken fillets and other common street snack shops are available, but they do not have obvious advantages.
Black Classic is ingenious in the production process of stinky tofu, and the brine alone is made from Liuyang tempeh, fresh winter bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms and other ingredients after a long fermentation. The ground tofu blanks are soaked in alum and brine, then drained and fried, and finally served in a bowl. In the early years, some people were quite suspicious about the source of the smell of stinky tofu, in fact, the alum used in regular stores contains ferrous sulfate, and the protein decomposes amino acids during fermentation, which together produce a slight odor. The black color of the surface layer of stinky tofu is only protease and beneficial bacteria produced by fermentation.
More than 10 stores in Changsha maintain a highly unified decoration style, all of which use white signboards on a black background as the door. The product packaging, store image, and marketing team of these stores are all output by the brand. The store also provides stinky tofu in plastic packaging, which can be used by out-of-town diners as a souvenir for relatives and friends.
