Of all the Chinese pantry staples, one that stands alone to me for its pungency has always been the Chinese fermented tofu known as fu ru. Packed in jars with their brine, these dice-sized cubes ...

Fu yu (which is off-white) and naam yu (which is red) are made by soaking fresh tofu in rice wine brine for a denser and creamier texture. Because fermented bean curd gains a mild, funky smell in ...