Stay Chill with 5 Effortless Tofu Recipes
5 minutes of prep is all you need
Hello everyone,
The tofu train is off and running! Thanks for all your bean curd enthusiasm.
Khai alerted me to an error I made last week when I misinterpreted a study. I clarified matters in the dispatch. Always watch my back and let me know if I goof or am unclear. I’m mostly working alone.
And, if you subscribe to Food and Wine magazine, I have a spicy ginger feature in the new April issue. There’s no tofu in there but there’s something for every ginger lover — a buying guide plus six recipes for gingery soba noodles, salad, chicken wings, pork roast, cookies, and sorbet.
When I developed the F&W noodle and ginger salad recipes, I often made 5-minute quickie chilled tofu dishes to round things out. Unlike animal protein, tofu is naturally pre-cooked and ready to eat. It’s an ancient convenience food.
Low-stress, big payoff tofu is my default for busy days when I need to plug in a protein to put a healthy meal together. Sometimes I made a tofu grain bowl.
My approach: Grab a tub of tofu, cut it up, briefly drain, then serve with my secret tofu weapons 🥷— easy homemade condiments that go exceptionally well with bean curd. Depending on what’s handy, I may dress up the tofu with extras.
Why serve plain, un-manipulated fresh tofu with sauces and seasonings? It’s easy, healthy, and a tofu connoisseur’s dream. The point is to savor tofu’s natural umami, as well as the savory, sweet, spicy, pungent and rich notes brought on by the condiments.
If this sounds weird or boring, I get you. It’s not the tofu we often see or hear about in America. It’s not even the tofu I grew up with. Our Viet household had tofu dropped into soup, stuffed fried tofu, deep-fried tofu simmered in stews, and stir-fried sauced up tofu.
I learned about enjoying the fresh tofu I’m talking about from Asian tofu masters.
Fresh, Naked Tofu Lessons
When I went on my Asian Tofu expedition, the first artisanal tofu I tasted was in a picturesque mountain village located outside of Taipei. My local tofu posse identified a renowned tofu maker in Shiding, so we drove there and introduced ourselves to the owner, Wang Fen Ji, a fifth-generation tofu maker.
Located on a quiet, narrow street near a river, his family’s humble shop made the creamiest, most delicate tofu I had ever tasted. It was phenomenal. He used fresh spring water and pointed uphill when I asked about the source.
He looked a bit like a lean tofu rock star. He worked alongside his wife and two sisters-in-law. When he introduced me to his wife, I was floored. Her name was Le Thi Phuong, a Vietnamese woman.
I switched from speaking my so-so Mandarin Chinese to my grade-level Vietnamese in order to ask, What brought Phuong to Taiwan?
She and her family are from a poor part of Vietnam, she explained. There were few opportunities. Her future husband needed a companion for the arduous work of running an artisanal tofu shop. She labored alongside her husband and learned Taiwanese. Life in Shiding was much better than it would have been if she remained in Vietnam.
They were a solid couple. For weekend customers, Phuong and her sisters made cha gio (Viet fried imperial rolls) to sell from the shop.
When I wanted to buy their tofu, she demurred. Within minutes, she’d assembled a luscious tofu snack that married salty-sweet-rich flavors, tender and gelatinous, textures, and cultures. Her tofu treat combined freshly made tofu with super rich century eggs plus a special Taiwanese soy sauce, not-too-hot Viet chile sauce, a touch of sesame oil, and cilantro.
The snack reminded me of feta served with herbs, spices, and olive oil, but the tofu preparation was dairy-free and equally, if not more, exciting to my palate. (My easy copycat version is below.)
I didn’t expect such a story and kindness from tofu. Bean curd surprises.
In addition to Taiwan, I ventured to Japan and China, where there were more naked tofu experiences. For instance, after Tokyo-based cookbook author and teacher Elizabeth Andoh (Taste of Culture) took me to her favorite tofu-ya (artisanal neighborhood tofu shop, like the local bakery), we did a tofu tasting. She she pulled a bunch of condiments from her pantry and fridge. One of them was a game-changing seasoned soy sauce, which she insisted I make for tofu.
Doctor up soy sauce to level up my tofu game? Heck yes. Thanks for the tip, Elizabeth!
Chilled and dressed tofu is the easiest, fastest tofu dish. No cooking required. No recipe needed, except you need the formulas for the condiments. You can use them with other foods too. (Multi-use recipes are keeper recipes.)
In this dispatch, you’ll find guidelines on what kind of tofu to use, efficient prep tips, plus five (5) recipes in text and a downloadable PDF. Made with pantry ingredients, the four (4) condiments are quick, super easy, and flavorful.
And, I made a video to clarify the textures that you’ll yield. The range of recipes help you to experience tofu with Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese-Viet flair. What you’re in store for:
