Meat eaters fear tofu. We don’t go near it. Like wheat-grass smoothies and marathons, it seems only to have a place in the degenerate lifestyles of fitness freaks and vegetarians. But that’s unfair. Tofu can be delicious, and everyone knows it is sort of good for you.
If you’ve never looked into it, tofu is an almost tasteless prism of healthiness that is high in protein and low in salt and cholesterol. It is made by pressing together the curds of soy milk, which doesn’t sound appetising, I know, but you wouldn’t want to know how some corn chips are made either. It has more protein than meat, and is stacked with calcium. But if you’re not a health-conscious individual don’t let those nutrients scare you off — there’s plenty of potential for some saucy additions to help satisfy your unhealthy urges.
In terms of cooking, tofu’s strengths are also its weaknesses. By itself it is undoubtedly bland, but every so often, when cooked correctly, one doesn’t have to pretend to enjoy eating it. This is because tofu has the ability to absorb the flavours of whatever it is cooked with. Add it to a pan with a chopped chili, some ginger and the sauce of your choice and you’ll see what I mean. It’s also versatile: it can be baked, broiled, deep-fried, marinated, stuffed, stewed and scrambled.
And if you still can’t stomach the lack of meat, you can try tofu in all of its weird “fake meat” manifestations. Even the most diehard carnivores would by lying if they said they weren’t more than a little interested in something like “tofurky” (tofu turkey) or “facon” (fake bacon: marinated smoked tofu). Tofu burgers, hot dogs and pizzas can suffice diners with less daring. On the more normal side, the old favourites like stir-fries, tofu-stuffed eggplant, and fried tofu fritters are always good choices.
So give it a try. With the infinite choices available, there’s a tofu dish for everyone. Think of yourself as a culinary explorer, breaking new boundaries and unlocking exciting new tastes. And after its all over, if you find yourself wishing you never took my advice you can always go order a multi-meat pizza.
I’m not sure whether this is true, but I’ve heard that freezing tofu before cooking helps it taste better. Not sure if that’s got anything to do with maintaining consistency or anything, but I’ve never gotten around to trying it. Still tofu is delicious in laksas and stir fries.
I don’t fear tofu, and even eat it on (rare) occasion. My preferred meat substitute is Sanitarium’s “Nutmeat”, which I am happy to eat by the canful.
However, the idea that either can be a substitute for real meat is laughable to anyone who enjoys the taste – and particularly texture – of meat.
I’m a meat eater. And I like tofu. (I also vote, but I’m not sure that’s relevant outside of bumper stickers).
But most tofu in Australia is a travesty of the subtle deliciousness that tofu can be.
How to enjoy tofu:
1) Go to Japan
2) Go to restaurant, have fresh tofu, uncooked, with minimal garnishes.
Or, without step 1: make tofu. Eat it, the same day.
I wont defend beancurd (or “tofu”) as I’m sure when we all pay the real environmental cost of meat, we’ll all learn to love it willy nilly, but what is “broiling”?
Broiling is what Americans call grilling. Technically, if the food rests on the hotplate, it’s grilling. If it’s heated from a distance – as in an oven griller – it’s broiling.