A Taiwanese restaurant near Los Angeles has stopped selling stinky tofu — its signature dish — after years of resident complaints and city penalties. The owner protested the decision, calling it a judgment that disregards cultural identity.
The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported Monday that the restaurant in San Gabriel, California, recently removed stinky tofu from its menu following fine warnings for city ordinance violations and persistent protests from neighbors.
Stinky tofu is a dish made by fermenting tofu with vegetables in brine. It is a popular street food widely enjoyed in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Known for its crispy texture and intense fermented aroma, it has maintained enduring popularity at night markets and other venues across the region. Fermentation periods range from several days to several months, and the longer the process, the stronger the smell — which can be off-putting to first-time eaters.
The restaurant had featured stinky tofu as its flagship menu item since opening, with the dish accounting for roughly 20% of total sales. However, conflict erupted starting in 2017 when residents in the nearby residential area began filing persistent complaints about the "unpleasant smell."
As complaints mounted, health department officials, fire department personnel, and city representatives visited the site and demanded the restaurant either reduce the odor or stop selling the dish. The owner, identified only by the initial A, could not abandon a signature item that represented a significant share of revenue, and continued selling stinky tofu.
The city ultimately imposed a $1,000 (approximately 1.45 million won) fine. "The neighbors claimed there was a foul smell, but neither we nor our customers could smell anything," the owner said, expressing frustration.
The owner stressed that the impact went beyond lost revenue, saying the restaurant's cultural identity had not been respected. "Stinky tofu holds value beyond being just a menu item — it is connected to the roots of the Taiwanese community," the owner said. Taiwanese writer Clarissa Wei also weighed in: "To those unfamiliar with it, stinky tofu may seem like a strange food. But for Taiwanese people and some Asian cultures, it is simply familiar soul food."
Wei also pointed out that stigmatizing certain foods as offensive risks undermining cultural diversity. San Gabriel, a city east of Los Angeles, is home to a large concentration of Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants and is known for its thriving Asian food culture.
City authorities, however, maintained that the action was a matter of public health management, not cultural discrimination. David Sanchez, San Gabriel's director of community development, said, "If an odor crosses private property lines and causes discomfort to others, it can be considered an ordinance violation."