Merchant seeks revenge over stinky tofu stand

The vendor claimed the man had forced him out of work before Chinese New Year over the strong perfume exuding from his stinky tofu stand.

Stinky tofu (chou tofu) is a popular delicacy in Taiwan and Asia, where it is commonly sold in night markets or at roadside stands.

As its name suggests, it is fermented soybean curd that gives off a strong smell varying, on the length of its fermentation process.

"I saw his gun and tried to grab it, but he suddenly fired at me when I rushed outside," said the victim, who was slightly injured by the vendor in the incident.

Before Chinese New Year, the tofu merchant closed up shop, amid repeated complaints by building management officials about his "smelly" stall.

"I think he transferred his anger to me," he continued. "He shot me because he thought I would not respond to his assault," he added, while lamenting his "misfortune" of just being there.

The victim explained that he pressed the man to close his shop, in an attempt to defend the interests of the building's owners. He noted that "business wasn't good anyway."

Chinese-language media reported that the attacker was questioned by police over the incident.

"I think the tofu smell is attractive," said Molly Lin, while eating fried stinky tofu at a small stall elsewhere in Taipei that afternoon.

She explained that she first tried the Chinese delicacy in her youth, and often reminisces about its unique smell, even when she is working abroad.

"The fermentation process for our stinky tofu lasts only 24 hours," said the Wu Liang-jiu, the owner of Chengchi Delicacy, an authentic stinky tofu shop located in Taipei City's Ming Sheng District.

Wu explained that some restaurants can sometimes push the fermentation process to several months in order to obtain distinctive results.

"What truly matters is the freshness of your product," he added.

"I was hungry, and decided to try the fried stinky tofu," said another customer, Coco Yan, 13. "It is really smelly!" she added.