Ningbo Three Stinky Dishes

Ningbo's "three stinky" is a collective name for three traditional fermented pickles, stinky winter melon, stinky amaranth stalks and stinky cabbage hearts, all salt-fermented into a strong aroma but a distinctive flavor.

The trio grew from the thrift of old Ningbo, where fermentation stretched the life of vegetables in lean times, eventually becoming the household face of the city's salty-fermented cuisine.

Usually steamed plain and served as a side with congee or rice, foul to the nose yet savory on the tongue; the amaranth stalks are sucked for their soft inner pulp, a highly recognizable dish on the old Ningbo table.

Stinky to smell but fragrant to eat, soft and briny with a long finish, it is the most testing and the most nostalgic flavor for Ningbo natives.