Tofu THE KING OF VEGETARIAN COOKING

Healthy food tofu

Nutritious,economical and versatile, tofu deserves to be known. No need to be a vegetarianor granola to enjoy it: you just have to get to know them… and have at handgood recipes, of course!

Thetypes

Wefind tofu in two forms: pressed or silky. In both cases, one can choose fromvarious degrees of firmness, soft to extra firm. That said, the pressed tofu isalways stronger than the silky tofu.

Pressedtofu is spongy and slightly grainy. It integrates with various culinarypreparations such as stir-fries, shepherd’s pie, meatloaf, kebabs, soups andmore. It is usually sold in plastic packaging, but sometimes in bulk, in Asiangrocery stores.

Silkentofu is smooth and creamy. It is ideal for lasagne, dips, milk shakes or formaking desserts. It is found in health food stores and supermarkets in plasticcontainers in the section of refrigerated products, or in aseptic cardboardpackaging (Tetra Pak) on the shelves.

Howare we doing?

Tofuis made from soybeans that are cooked, crushed and extracted with a milkyliquid, which is coagulated to obtain tofu. The curd is then pressed anddrained it to get firm tofu. For the silken tofu, lactone is added to thisliquid, for the firm and help keep its water. Silken tofu is neither drained orpressed.

Preservation

Unopened,tofu sold in a sealed plastic container keeps cold until the expiry date(“best before”) displayed there. Once begun, or is purchased in bulk,the pressed tofu must be covered with water and kept refrigerated in a coveredcontainer. Changing the water every day, it keeps one week.

Silkentofu sold in aseptic paperboard packaging does not need to be refrigeratedbefore use. Once opened, allowed packaged or placed in a closed containerwithout water in the refrigerator where it will keep two or three days.

Freezing

Pressedtofu can be frozen, but freezing will give it a more gritty and chewy textureand will yellow slightly. Wrap it in plastic wrap and then foil or place it ina plastic bag before freezing. Do not keep it in the freezer for more than twomonths. As for silken tofu, it reacts badly to freezing. It loses water andtakes a curdled appearance.

Recognizefreshness

Thesmell of tofu gives us a good indicator of freshness. When fresh, it gives offa subtle scent, tinged with hazelnuts. If it is no longer fit for consumption,it will clear by against a very unpleasant odor.

Howto cook?

Tofuhas a fairly neutral flavor. It deserves to be mixed with ingredients that havepunch. It is for example the marinade then cook with garlic, ginger, scallions,tamari or soy sauce, rice vinegar or cider, sesame oil or other or do cook thesame way without the marinate beforehand. Also on the marinated tofu market,pre-seasoned, sometimes sliced ​​or cubed and sweetenedand flavored silken tofu, ready to eat. So many delicious ways to find out!

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