It’s time for tofu!

Published March 12, 2023

by Janet Blaser

Tofu has come far since it made its slow white way into the kitchens of the Western world.

While tofu is a mainstay in Chinese, Japanese and other Asian cooking, it wasn’t really until the 1960s that it was embraced in America, when the hippie counterculture adopted it as a “nonviolent” protein source.

The stigma of tofu is pretty much gone now, especially as the medical reasons for a “plant-based diet” have piled up. It’s a great source of protein, relatively inexpensive and incredibly versatile in the kitchen.

Tofu — which is soybean curd — works equally well in savory or sweet recipes and the bland, white block-in-a-box is only one of its many forms, all of which have different textures, subtle flavor differences and uses. My first experience eating homemade soft tofu was mind-blowing; I had no idea how fresh it could taste, nor how melt-in-your-mouth soft and creamy it would be.

That said, in Mazatlán at least, that kind of fresh tofu is not to be found, nor is unadulterated soy milk or raw soybeans to make it myself. The best I can find are the packages, either in aseptic boxes or in refrigerated plastic containers with water. Both those varieties work OK for most recipes but are nothing like tofu that’s freshly made. Should you ever get the chance to eat that, grab it and rejoice!

One of the most basic tofu-cooking skills is how to make it crispy. The secret is that it needs to be as dry as possible before you start cooking with it. Pouring boiling water over the tofu before pressing and cooking helps to get the water out. Coating the tofu before sautéing with a thin layer of cornstarch also helps it cook up crispy.

Place whole or cut blocks of tofu in a single layer in a colander or strainer and pour boiling water over them. Let drain, then carefully place tofu on a cutting board or plate between paper towels. Press down firmly with your hand to get rid of the excess moisture. (Unless, of course, you have a tofu press.) You may need to change the paper towels once or twice. Pat the tofu dry; cut into the desired size. Let air-dry for 30 minutes to 4 hours.

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