‘We were sent to hell’ – Hong Kong fermented tofu shop nearly 120 years old shuts suddenly
- Liu Ma Kee in Yau Ma Tei shut without warning on July 18 following a public health alert over bacteria levels in a batch of fermented tofu
Liu Ma Kee, a fourth-generation business in Hong Kong’s Yau Ma Tei neighbourhood known for its fermented tofu products, has closed suddenly after almost 120 years.
It comes just over two weeks after health authorities issued an alert about a bottle of its fermented tofu that led the firm to withdraw a batch from sale.
The finished product has a distinctive pungent aroma and yielding texture that has been likened to ripe soft cheese, and it is an essential ingredient in traditional Cantonese dishes such as stir-fried water spinach, and lamb stew with bean curd sheets.
Liu Ma Kee featured in a Hong Kong Tourism Board campaign in 2021 to boost travel to the city by spotlighting heritage businesses and hidden gems. Jay Liu Fong-yip, part of the fourth generation of his family to run Liu Ma Kee, told the Post back then that he hoped the campaign would encourage more local customers to visit the shop.