Tofu, or bean curd in the United States, is one of two foods that embody Asian cuisine, with the other being rice. Tofu is made by coagulating soy milk, which leaves curds that are usually shaped into white blocks. Though this is the most generic type of tofu, there are also many other ways to make and types of tofu, my personal favorite is silken tofu. Tofu is an excellent vegetarian source for protein, and with its delicate flavor, can be prepared in many different forms, from appetizers, to main courses, to desserts. The origin of tofu is highly disputed, with claims ranging from China, Japan, Vietnam, and Korea, but the first documented making of tofu dates back to China in 179 BC.
There are three common types of tofu that i'm going to talk about, the most common type of tofu is fresh tofu, this tofu is usually sold in large vats of water, where you reach in to select the tofu you want (it's actually kinda cool), from this basic fresh tofu you can cook it or make it in different ways so that it transforms into other types. Another common type of tofu is silken tofu. Silken tofu is tofu that has the highest moisture quality, and it is extremely soft, and it feels most like eating pudding. Silken tofu is usually eaten as a dessert with other flavorings (I like mine with sugar syrup). The last common type of tofu is fried tofu. All tofu besides silken tofu can be deep fried until they are crunchy on the outside, and soft and juicy on the inside. Fried tofu is usually bland so it is preferred to eat it with soy sauce.
Fresh Tofu is a good shop to get homemade tofu and other Asian treats such as Vietnamese pudding, but that's for another blog post.
Photos courtesy of flikr
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