"Cheese?" the stall owners repeated in confusion and offered me a block of tofu soaked in fish sauce.

I carefully described it to a dry goods seller; soft and eggshell white, smooth, salty, slightly sour. Made from curdled milk. I suddenly wanted some more than anything in the world.

"Curdled milk?" he repeated, his nose wrinkling well up into his eyebrows with distaste. The liquid that came out of lactating animals, left to go sour?

He had a point. I bought the tofu.