I’ll put this out there right at the beginning of this post – I am Very Pro Tofu. I am not sure if there are many others who enjoy tofu in all its forms, but I am hoping to convert those of you who are more of the tofu hesitant frame of mind!
Tofu is such a diverse ingredient – I know people find this hard to believe as I feel like there is a lot of misconception around it – from the fact that people find it bland and tasteless, that they don’t like the ‘texture’, and that only vegetarians eat it in any quantity. It is time to dispute these baseless misconceptions! 👊🏼
Firstly a very small history of tofu and the making of tofu. It originated in China around the time of the Han Dynasty (200AD) and is made using a very similar method to cheese. Soy milk is made by soaking and then boiling the beans in water, straining and grinding into a soy milk. This soy milk is coagulated and the curds are pressed to form tofu. The coagulant used is primarily gypsum powder (calcium sulfate) but other coagulants such as gelatine, acid and enzyme coagulants can be used.
The curds are set to different firmnesses to create the myriad of forms of tofu available!
So with this initial product the firmness could be altered with the amount of coagulant used from silky to firm ( by further extraction of water from the tofu), to being smoked, to being fermented, being dried, retaining and using the skin (the skin that forms on top of the soy milk as it is heated). AND with all these products, you can fry it, steam it, eat it “raw”, puff it, or “stinkify it” (OK, not so keen on this last option).
From China, the method of production and use of tofu spread to Japan, Korea and South East Asia and was used in different ways again!
It is also to be mentioned that whilst in the western world tofu is eaten as a vegetarian alternative to meat in meals, in China it is an ingredient that is a meal on its own, or part of a bigger meal which would include other proteins. For example mapo tofu is a meat and tofu dish where the tofu absorbs the flavours of all the sauces etc and the meat in the dish and also adds a textural difference to the meat. Tofu adds texture, absorbs flavours, can be used in savoury and sweet dishes, and also is good for you. Without wanting to sound like my mother, tofu is high in protein and contains all the essential amino acids that your body needs. It also provides fats, carbs, and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.
On top of all this greatness, there is little is wasted in the making of tofu. The skin which forms on the surface of the milk when it is being heated is removed and dried in large sheets to make tofu skin or fu-pi or yuba which can be thinly sliced, dried, or tied into knots and used for a myriad of dishes. It is used in Japan also to make inari pockets which I love.
Douhua is a particularly delicious form of tofu. It is the silkiest, lightest form of tofu and is popular throughout asia. It is eaten usually with a spoon as it is soo silky it is impossible to pick up with chopsticks. It can be served savoury with soy sauce and often shrimps and/or seaweed or spicy with chilli oil, soy sauce, spring onions and peanuts – like this chengdu tofu which is spicy and soft and with the pickled vegetables on top.
Douhua can also be served sweet with a sugar syrup, ginger syrup or brown sugar (you might see this on the yumcha trolleys for dessert).
Many, many reasons to add tofu to your repertoire of dishes! There are several tofu dishes on the website, the simplest and easiest being the silken tofu with spring onions and soy sauce – complimentary to nearly any asian meal.
