5 Tips To Improve Your Tofu
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Date: 2020-08-17
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Comments and reviews: 10
MechaEmperor7000
I'm chinese and we frequently cook with tofu in the house and tbh, I've never heard about marinading it. Personally, it's better to have the tofu in smaller bits and have the sauce on the outside. The comparison to cheese is spot on but in terms of use, Tofu is the complete opposite. It's a vehicle for flavor rather than used for flavoring. Some things I'd like to add on:
1) Frozen Tofu absorbs liquids very well. This makes them excellent for stews and soups as it turns them into little chunklets of concentrated flavor. However for chunkier or more gooey sauces, they do less well, so use them more for things that simmer over the fire. Think of them as edible sponges that don't suck.
2) Most people only think of tofu as a meat substitute, which is bad. Tofu is very different from meat, and much of the bad connotations come from people using Tofu as some kind of a substitute in a savory dish. However think of it as a silky gelatin, meant to absorb nearby flavors. Specifically, the same tofu can go with Savory or Sweet dishes (or even both. Think exactly like gelatin; gelatin can be used for savory terrines or sweet jellos, and the sauces that give those dishes flavor can be simply poured over tofu and eaten like that. One popular breakfast dish in china is Tofu Brains, which is simply extremely fresh tofu (which you can make with soybean milk and some edible gypsum) with sauce drizzles over it. The sauce range from fish sauce to sweet soysauces to honey to (in western places) jams and jellies. It's absolutely to die for as you get something that feels like slightly melty icecream going down your throat, or a thick soup (again, depending on the sauce.
3) Tofu in of itself has no taste, only texture. This means if flavour could be measured, Tofu would actually cause negative flavor. You should always use a very strong sauce with it (basically the sauce should be just barely edible alone in terms of taste. People call tofu dishes light but sometimes make the mistake of using a light flavoring, which of course results in it tasting like you're licking blended egg whites. You eat tofu for the texture, not the flavor, so go wild with the flavor.
4) Vegan Meat Substitutes: There are a bunch of Vegan meat substitutes made of basically concentrated dried tofu. These are bad if you try to use them as actual meat substitutes, because again, Tofu is not meat. However, if you find these things in chinese markets (usually called something like roasted Tofu or Tofu jerky, they are good in dishes used like vegetables. Think of them like seasoned dough lumps instead, and you'll find they taste great.
reply
I'm chinese and we frequently cook with tofu in the house and tbh, I've never heard about marinading it. Personally, it's better to have the tofu in smaller bits and have the sauce on the outside. The comparison to cheese is spot on but in terms of use, Tofu is the complete opposite. It's a vehicle for flavor rather than used for flavoring. Some things I'd like to add on:
1) Frozen Tofu absorbs liquids very well. This makes them excellent for stews and soups as it turns them into little chunklets of concentrated flavor. However for chunkier or more gooey sauces, they do less well, so use them more for things that simmer over the fire. Think of them as edible sponges that don't suck.
2) Most people only think of tofu as a meat substitute, which is bad. Tofu is very different from meat, and much of the bad connotations come from people using Tofu as some kind of a substitute in a savory dish. However think of it as a silky gelatin, meant to absorb nearby flavors. Specifically, the same tofu can go with Savory or Sweet dishes (or even both. Think exactly like gelatin; gelatin can be used for savory terrines or sweet jellos, and the sauces that give those dishes flavor can be simply poured over tofu and eaten like that. One popular breakfast dish in china is Tofu Brains, which is simply extremely fresh tofu (which you can make with soybean milk and some edible gypsum) with sauce drizzles over it. The sauce range from fish sauce to sweet soysauces to honey to (in western places) jams and jellies. It's absolutely to die for as you get something that feels like slightly melty icecream going down your throat, or a thick soup (again, depending on the sauce.
3) Tofu in of itself has no taste, only texture. This means if flavour could be measured, Tofu would actually cause negative flavor. You should always use a very strong sauce with it (basically the sauce should be just barely edible alone in terms of taste. People call tofu dishes light but sometimes make the mistake of using a light flavoring, which of course results in it tasting like you're licking blended egg whites. You eat tofu for the texture, not the flavor, so go wild with the flavor.
4) Vegan Meat Substitutes: There are a bunch of Vegan meat substitutes made of basically concentrated dried tofu. These are bad if you try to use them as actual meat substitutes, because again, Tofu is not meat. However, if you find these things in chinese markets (usually called something like roasted Tofu or Tofu jerky, they are good in dishes used like vegetables. Think of them like seasoned dough lumps instead, and you'll find they taste great.
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PsychoLemur42
One great way to prep tofu before cooking is to soak it in hot salted water for about ten minutes. It'll give it a nice texture, especially if you're going to fry it. The outside will be nice and crispy, with no need for breading. Just soak, dry it off and fry (with an optional dunk in seasoned starch!
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One great way to prep tofu before cooking is to soak it in hot salted water for about ten minutes. It'll give it a nice texture, especially if you're going to fry it. The outside will be nice and crispy, with no need for breading. Just soak, dry it off and fry (with an optional dunk in seasoned starch!
reply
Chrissy
Put tofu in the FREEZER. The water inside expands and creates tons of tiny holes in it when it defrosts. It looks exactly like a dish sponge when you squeeze all of the water out. It easily crumbles into dry bits that resemble minced chicken! This texture is perfect for chili, tacos, stews, etc!
reply
Put tofu in the FREEZER. The water inside expands and creates tons of tiny holes in it when it defrosts. It looks exactly like a dish sponge when you squeeze all of the water out. It easily crumbles into dry bits that resemble minced chicken! This texture is perfect for chili, tacos, stews, etc!
reply
icesilverwind
Please don't freeze fresh tofu! . Just don't! Freezing changes the flavor of the tofu. If you need some deep saucing, don't bother with fresh soft tofu, just get the plain firm kind. (Also, frozen soft tofu will fall apart when you cook it. Too much water)
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Please don't freeze fresh tofu! . Just don't! Freezing changes the flavor of the tofu. If you need some deep saucing, don't bother with fresh soft tofu, just get the plain firm kind. (Also, frozen soft tofu will fall apart when you cook it. Too much water)
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LadyLenaki
I stumbled on the corn flour to make it fry better because I'm gluten free and vegan, so I usually have corn flour that's gluten free, and I just coated it to see how it would turn out. It works really well. It gets very nice and crispy that way.
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I stumbled on the corn flour to make it fry better because I'm gluten free and vegan, so I usually have corn flour that's gluten free, and I just coated it to see how it would turn out. It works really well. It gets very nice and crispy that way.
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MagicTurtle643
The oil thing was like an epiphany moment for me. No wonder I haven't gotten my tofu to taste super great, I've been pan-frying it in sesame oil and wondering why it doesn't come out tasting like sesame oil. Lol. Thanks, guys!
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The oil thing was like an epiphany moment for me. No wonder I haven't gotten my tofu to taste super great, I've been pan-frying it in sesame oil and wondering why it doesn't come out tasting like sesame oil. Lol. Thanks, guys!
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Georgie
I always slice it into very thin slices (not cubed like he did, marinade, then fry on a very high heat until crispy. can't STAND soggy tofu! To make tofu bacon I marinade it in oil, soy sauce and smoked paprika; )
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I always slice it into very thin slices (not cubed like he did, marinade, then fry on a very high heat until crispy. can't STAND soggy tofu! To make tofu bacon I marinade it in oil, soy sauce and smoked paprika; )
reply
lina
thanks so much, that was informative. do more videos like this. it helps someone interested in cooking but did not have a formal education about cooking. this kind of videos help us.
reply
thanks so much, that was informative. do more videos like this. it helps someone interested in cooking but did not have a formal education about cooking. this kind of videos help us.
reply
lina
thanks so much, that was informative. do more videos like this. it helps someone interested in cooking but did not have a formal education about cooking. this kind of videos help us.
reply
thanks so much, that was informative. do more videos like this. it helps someone interested in cooking but did not have a formal education about cooking. this kind of videos help us.
reply
ss
I dont know why Im here but as a Chinese I feel really funny when he explain tofu try to improve it in a western way We just love tofu as what it is. Nothing to do with vegan diet!
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I dont know why Im here but as a Chinese I feel really funny when he explain tofu try to improve it in a western way We just love tofu as what it is. Nothing to do with vegan diet!
reply
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