The Perfect Tofu Guide
Many people have heard about tofu - but do they really know what it is or how to cook it? Tofu is a soybean mass made from coagulated soy milk. It is known from the Chinese, Japanese and Korean cuisine. The consistency reminds of cheese. You can either get it in a firm or a soft structure.
Tofu contains a lot of protein and it’s rich in iron and calcium. Vegetarians or vegans often use tofu as a substitute for meat. 100 g of tofu contains 8 g of protein, which is significantly less than some meats. Tofu is still a good source of protein for vegetarians and vegans because it has many amino acids. Unlike many animal sources of products, tofu is low in saturated fat and is a good source of heart-healthy unsaturated fats.
Tofu can be prepared in many different ways. You can either steamed, grilled, baked, pan-cooked, blend, and fried it. Before cooking, you have to press the excess liquid out of your tofu to give it a sturdier, less slimy consistency. An easy way to cook tofu, while still maintaining a firm texture, is to cut it into bite-size pieces. Tofu is pretty flavorless on its own, but it’s very good to absorb the sauce. This means that you can marinate it with whatever you want, and because of the fast absorption, you don’t need to wait long before you can cook it with its full flavor.
There are a lot of different kinds of tofu. Here is a list of the different kinds.
1. Silketofu
This kind of tofu is often used to make dressings, sauces and soft desserts.
2. Soft tofu
This kind of tofu is also soft, but not as soft as silk tofu. You can use this tofu in soups, especially miso, pho or other Asian soups. Besides that, it’s good for soups and it’s also good for vegan scrambled eggs.
3. Basic tofu
It’s the kind of tofu you find in supermarkets. You can pretty much use it for everything for example in curry dishes, in salad, in sandwiches or any other dish.
4. Firm tofu
This kind of tofu does not have a lot of liquid in it. The fact that the tofu has a firm structure makes it work well as a substitute for dishes where there would have been meat in it
Celina, Rose & Kamilla
Københavns Professionshøjskole