|
What is Tofu?
There is no such thing as just plain "tofu." It comes in a
variety of textures, hardness, and flavors. There are several very
different textures of tofu available in markets today:
Regular Tofu: This texture resembles a sponge and is fibrous with a silken
texture. In most cases, when a recipe calls for just "tofu," it is
a safe bet to use this texture. Note that manufacturers do not use the term
"regular" for this tofu. They'll typically call it "tofu
soft, medium firm."
Soft Tofu: For regular textured tofu, this hardness is similar to
a soft water-logged sponge with really small holes. We know this does not
sound appealing, but we're only describing the hardness, not the flavor. For
silken textured tofu, this hardness is similar to really soft jello. In many
cases, however, soft silken tofu will just have the label of
"silken."
Firm Tofu: For regular textured tofu, this hardness is denser --
similar to a firmer water-logged sponge with small holes. And for silken
textured tofu, the jello consistency just gets firmer.
A hardness cannot be made any softer but it can be made firmer by
freezing and thawing, boiling in water, or pressing. These three methods
change the texture of the tofu in different ways.
Freezing & Thawing: Freezing and thawing makes the tofu more
porous so that it soaks marinades and other liquids very quickly. For
additional information on freezing and thawing tofu, see "Storage"
in this article.
Boiling: When boiling tofu, the outside is cooked more than the
inside, causing the outside edges to be a little tougher. This may be
exactly what you want when using tofu as a meat alternative. A typical
boiling time is 20 minutes; however, boiling it for longer or shorter
periods of time certainly will not hurt it.
Pressing: Pressing tofu makes the entire block uniformly firmer.
This is the technique to use if a recipe calls for firm tofu and you happen
to have soft tofu in the refrigerator. To press a block of tofu, place it
between towels and put a heavy weight (such as a cast iron frying pan,
concrete paving blocks, or bricks) on top and let it sit for an hour or so.
Storing or cooking pressed tofu in a liquid will undo the effects of the
pressing.
You are not limited to just one of these techniques to change the
hardness of your tofu. You can use any combination of them or all three. You
can even repeat any of the techniques or combinations to really toughen up
your tofu. When you go to your local health food store, you may notice a
wide variety of tofus flavored with herbs. These are not what the authors of
your recipe books are referring to unless, of course, they've specified a
particular flavor of tofu. Feel free to try these flavored tofu treats in
your own creative recipes.
Nigari is a natural component of sea water, primarily magnesium
chloride. It is used to make Japanese style tofu. Nigari tofu
are generally firmer and more tender.
Calcium Rich tofu is make with food grade gypsum, a natural earth
mineral, calcium sulfate. It is traditional Chinese tofu
ingredient. The Calcium Rich tofu is softer and smoother.
GDL Tofu is silken tofu. GDL is mixed with the soymilk in the
tofu container. The coagulation takes place inside the tofu
container. The tofu is never pressed. Therefore, silken tofu
has the highest water content. This make silken tofu soft.
What is Organic?
Organic refers to methods of growing and processing foods
that rely on the earth's natural resources. Pests and weeds are managed
using earth-friendly means such as beneficial insects and mechanical
controls. Organic farmers work to build natural nutrients in soil which help
fertilize plants without reliance on synthetic fertilizers. For
details of the California Organic Food Acts of 1990, click here.
Organic Production
Offers food produced within nature's own balanced and fertile system.
 | Helps keep our air, soil, and water free of toxic chemicals.
| Ensures that animals are humanely raised, without synthetic hormones
or antibiotics, and only fed organic feed. |
|
All Quong Hop's soy products are made with certified organic soybean.
-
Fresh tofu should have a mild smell when you open the package. A package of
tofu should show an expiration date.
Tofu that has spoiled turns moldy, is filmy to the touch, and has a sour,
sharp, or biting taste and smell. Some suggest that if it only smells sour,
it can still be used in many recipes other than those with very delicate
flavors such as mousses and puddings. However, if it smells sour, we suggest
that you just throw it away -- it's not that expensive.
Tofu can be purchased refrigerated and packed in water or packaged in vacuum
packed plastic containers. After opening a water pack refrigerated
package, drain the fluid, cut off the portion you want, and decide how you
are going to store the remainder of the tofu. To maintain its store-bought
texture, put it in the refrigerator. To change the tofu's texture and make
it tougher (more meat-like), put it in the freezer.
If you want to store it in the refrigerator (which you can do for up to 7
days), cover with fresh cool water. Replace the water daily to prevent it
from getting cloudy and making a good home for bacteria. Also be sure that
the tofu is completely submerged.
If you want to store it in the freezer, place the drained tofu in an
airtight bag or container. The white tofu, once frozen, will turn yellow;
but don't worry, when you thaw it, it will become white again. Freezing tofu
drastically changes its properties. When you freeze it, thaw it, and squeeze
out the water, it will have a more meaty, chewy consistency and will soak up
marinades and sauces more readily than non-frozen tofu. (Other ways of
changing the hardness of tofu are described in the "Varieties"
section of this article.) To squeeze out the water, simply place sliced tofu
between paper towels and press with the palm of your hand to remove as much
water as possible, or perform the "pressing" technique described
earlier. To thaw tofu quickly, microwave it on a paper towel or in a bowl.
You can also boil it for 5 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the tofu
chunk. It is usually easier, however, to leave it on a plate on the kitchen
counter for a few hours.
Marinating
Marinating tofu is one of the many ways of flavoring it. When a recipe
instructs you to marinate tofu and it does not tell you the tofu texture or
hardness to use, we recommend using a regular firm or extra-firm tofu. If
you are marinating for less than one hour, it can be done at room
temperature covered with wax paper, paper towels, or a towel. However, for
longer periods of time, marinating should be done in a tightly-covered
container in the refrigerator to prevent bacterial growth and spoilage.
Frozen and thawed tofu absorbs marinades faster than unfrozen tofu. In
fact, if the marinade is thin, you may only need to quickly dip the tofu in
the sauce on each side for it to be fully absorbed into the tofu. However,
if the marinade is thick, the tofu may still require several hours or even
overnight to absorb the marinade fully.
Cooking
Tofu can be mashed, blended, whipped, ground, crumbled, marinated,
simmered, steamed, baked, broiled, sautéed, barbecued, fried, or
deep-fried. Basically, you can do anything to it. Use your imagination and
creativity. Remember, tofu has very little flavor of its own, and it will
pick up the flavors of the ingredients it is cooked with. Also remember that
tofu can be so soft and creamy that it melts away in the dish, or so firm
and leathery that it takes a bit of chewing. Choose your flavors and
textures.
Tofu may not only look like a sponge, but in some cases it actually acts
like a sponge. If you have gone through some time and effort to remove the
water from your tofu (i.e., to make it firmer or to maximize the flavor of a
marinade), don't put it back in water or other liquids such as soup stocks.
The tofu "sponge" will absorb liquid and drastically dilute the
marinade and return the tofu's firmness to its original state.
In a soup or stew, you can "lock-in" the flavor of a marinated
tofu by first cooking it with a little oil. Deep frying, pan frying, or
covering with a non-stick cooking spray and broiling are all methods that
may be used. If this locking-in process is skipped, the tofu's flavors will
have a tendency to be leached out by the soup or stew broth.
-
Click here to see our recipes.
|
