Tofu Types + What to DO with them! From soft to super firm, silken vs regular, plus specialty tofu
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- Опубликовано: 19 июн 2024
- Curious or confused about the different types of tofu? I've got answers! I went to all my local grocery stores, including the Chinese supermarket and a couple Korean grocery stores to find every kind of tofu and tell you all about them.
In this tofu 101 guide, I cover regular vs silken tofu and more. Regular tofu being from soft, medium, firm, to extra firm and pressed (also known as cotton tofu, Chinese-style tofu, or block style tofu. And Silken Tofu (which also comes in soft, firm and extra firm but is super different) being a more delicate form of tofu.
Plus:
- The intricacies of medium-firm tofu and double freezing,
- Smoked tofu,
- Tofu Puffs,
- Specialty tofu that you only usually find at Asian grocery stores like q-tofu, fish-style tofu, tofu noodles, and fermented tofu,
- AND what to do with them!
Never feel lost at the tofu section ever again!
Did I miss one of your questions? Please tell me in the comments and I'll be sure to answer!
Also, did I miss a type of tofu that you want covered? #request it in the comments!
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Would you rather read the 2022 Tofu Guide? Click here: mtk.fyi/2022TofuGuide
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--TIMESTAMPS--
0:00 Introduction
0:27 What is "Regular" Tofu
0:54 What is Soft VS Silken Tofu
2:19 How to use Silken and Soft Tofu
3:04 Tofu Puffs
4:45 What is Medium Firm Tofu
5:50 How to use Medium Firm Tofu
7:55 What is Firm Tofu
8:18 What is Extra Firm Tofu
9:03 How to Prepare Extra Firm Tofu
10:23 What is Pressed or Super Pressed Tofu
11:08 What is Smoked Tofu
11:54 Specialty Tofu
13:38 What is Fermented Tofu
--RECIPES MENTIONED (in order of appearance)--
MAPO TOFU: • VEGAN MAPO TOFU RECIPE...
TOFU "FRIED EGG": • Easy Vegan Fried "Egg"...
BEST TOFU SCRAMBLE: • Simple Tofu Scramble R...
BLACK PEPPER TOFU video: • CHINESE BLACK PEPPER T...
BEST VEGAN FRIED "CHCKEN": • THE BEST VEGAN FRIED C...
VEGAN SESAME CHICKEN: • VEGAN SESAME CHICKEN R...
VEGAN KOREAN "FRIED" CHICKEN: • VEGAN KOREAN FRIED CHI...
VEGAN BUTTER CHICKEN: • CHEATER BUTTER CHICKEN...
HOW TO PRESS TOFU (w/o a tofu press): • How To Press Tofu | Ve...
CALIFORNIA ROLL BOWL: • HIGH PROTEIN VEGAN MEA...
LEMONGRASS PRESSED TOFU: • WHAT A VEGAN EATS IN A...
CHINESE BBQ PORK-STYLE SEITAN: • Vegan Chinese Five Spi...
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MY FAVORITE TOFU PRESS: amzn.to/3IowVJe
KITCHEN + PANTRY FAVES:
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Хобби
For those of us that can't find tien but la, can you make a recipe video?
hehe I can try to figure it out...
Correction,... YES: ruclips.net/video/JxQ96dH8ACQ/видео.html
So nice to see the person behind the videos! You’re adorable! And I greatly appreciate the tofu breakdown 😊
Thank you!! 😊 I'm so glad you find the video helpful
I agree! I love watching your tofu making videos. I am to start making them ❤
I agree also. A very cute person to match the very cute voice. Thank you Mary. You’re an icon on RUclips (I hope you take that as a complement ❤)
Massively needed in this household! I buy tofu at a Vietnamese shop, and I never know which ones to pick and use for what. Thanks so much! And I love your crazy hair, thank you for not putting on a whole masquerade for us. ❤️
You are so welcome!
This has been very informative. Smoked tofu is so good but yes, it's been pricier. Last I saw, it was $3.99 in my local store. I'll have to try the super pressed tofu next time. I didn't realize the texture was similar to the smoked tofu. Thanks!
ooo $3.99 is better at least! I'm glad this has been helpful :-)
You're killing me with your killer sense of humour. This was surprising comprehensive. It's not easy finding decent tofu in Canada...we have alot of space to cover. Thank you for doing most of the work. 😉💌✌🏽
Thanks so much! You just have to trek to one of the major cities to a T&T supermarket or something like it ;D
I got all of these in Calgary
The absolute chaos of silken, soft, pressed, chinese, traditional, medium, medium firm, firm ;_; Thankfully they're all delicious! And thank you for sharing all your knowledge!
Total chaos! Thanks for watching :-)
Now I can match the adorable voice and humor to your nice face. Thank you for all the hard work and education you so graciously gift us.
yessss here for more fermented tofu recipes please, I make buddhas delight from time to time so I always have a jar of red fermented bean curd in my fridge, but never make anything else with it, would be happy to try out some other recipes.
Noted!
One of my all time favorite foods, can’t wait for the recipes. Thanks
Hope you enjoy
Your energy is awesooome!
This is so perfect, the ultimate tofu guide ❤
Wow, thank you!
Extremely helpful! Thank you for the very well explained information! Love you channel!
Happy to help! Thanks so much for the kind comment
In Italy there isn't that much of variety, but my mom does make homemade tofu that makes me so satisfied 💗
wow lucky you!! I bet mom's homemade tofu taste better than anything else!
Wow! This information is fantastic Thank you!! I really appreciate all the teaching videos you have created for us. Also, I like your style and humor! ❤
I've been adventuring with tofu a lot lately and I just want to say thank you so much for making this video. I keep coming back to it and learning new things everytime.
aw that's so lovely. Thank you!
Very thorough and helpful video. Loved watching this, tyty
Glad it was helpful!
So interesting! Thank you for the format💙
Glad you enjoyed it!
One of the few things I miss since moving to my motherland in Mexico from the US is tofu!! It’s much harder to find here and so expensive, especially because I’m in a small city. I’ve only found the very regular shelf stable silken tofu or medium firm tofu, for like $6 USD each 😭 came to your channel to learn how to make my own out of different ingredients based on what is cheapest here. I’m no longer vegan but I just love tofu, I can’t completely give it up. I’ll count my blessings that pretty much any other food here, especially produce, is much cheaper and so fresh and locally sourced!
Mary your cat is so majestic! Thank you for this great comparison vid!
That’s the first time that I have seen your face. Nice to meet you Mary. I’m Jacqui and started watching you ages ago but not recently!? But, glad to be here again.
Really enjoyed the video. Not seen so much info about tofu in the same place before. I should use it more than I do. You have inspired me to try the different kinds. Thank you. 🥰
Oh thank you! I'm had you enjoyed it :-) welcome back!
Extremely helpful, thank you so much for taking the time to educate us!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much for this video. Helped me a lot and looking forward to many delicious recipes in the future 😋
You're so welcome! I'm glad it's been helpful :-)
Thank you I enjoy learning more
Silken tofu deep fried is so good 😭 my fav restaurant makes lemongrass tofu with it… delicious
That sounds heavenly!
I looooove your videos! Such a nice presence and so informative :)
firm tofu as a replacement for indian paneer dishes is easy, lower in fat and higher in protein. the preparation of the tofu is pan fry it till it's slightly pale yellow/gold tinted, for the lack of a better phrase? it tastes brilliant in indian curries. do give it a try! ❤
This was a great video. Love seeing you on camera. You look so relaxed! 🥰
Oh thank you!
Kudos for the guide! It is extremely helpful!😄
I'm so glad! Thank you, Francis
I'm excited to see more recipes 😋 thank you!
You're very welcome!
Loved this and it is very helpful. I try to meal prep blocks to build dishes over the week. Some different marinades, sauces or other type things to mix up on prep day would be nice.
That's a great idea!
Thank you for this!
Very helpful and explains a lot, thank you for making this video!
You're most welcome!
Thank you Mary! This is super helpful as we experiment with tofu more and more.
You're very welcome, Cyndi!
nice to meat you! I never was a fan of tofu and cant handle soy well either so it was not a tragedy, even though I found the concept interesting but with your experiments you got me invested and I just bought a tofu press for my own experiments ^^
Hey Mary! 🌟 Your voice is so lovely and comforting, and your knowledge shines through in every video. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us, you're truly a gem in the RUclips community! 💖✨
what a sweet comment! Thank you so much
Awesome explanation of all of those!
Thank you!! Glad to help :-)
Great and very useful video for next time I go into town and visit the Korean and Chinese stores. Thank you!
You're very welcome!
Here in Germany, our tofu selection is sorely limited. Most groceries only have very dry super firm vacuum sealed tofu, usually smoked and with questionable flavors added. I'm heading to the Vietnamese super center today to get a better selection. Thanks for your investigation into tofu types and some good info. Also, Chester is the best!
I am once again inspired to try to find the right medium firm tofu for vegan chicken! My kiddo is super picky about texture, so I gotta find one that gets that wildly chicken-like texture. Thank you for this great go-to guide! 😊
You can do it! Thanks for watching 😊
Nice to learn about the ones in the jars... never heard of them before... thanks again Mary😋
You are so welcome
I've only ever used the fermented tofu in Liz Mius sticky garlic eggplant dish, excited to see other things to try it with!
MMM now you got me thinking about that sticky garlic eggplant!
Great video!
Thank you so much 🥰
I use tofu noodles to make bacon, and it's incredible. I just marinate them briefly in soy sauce and liquid smoke, then fry them until crispy in lots of oil - then glaze them with some more soy sauce, liquid smoke and maple syrup. It's so crunchy and salty and umami-y. Highly recommend it!
OMG What???? Trying this ASAP! Thank you for sharing!
Sounds tasty :-)
Thank you Mary, very informative!
Glad it was helpful!
Awesome video! Thank you 🙂
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching :-)
This was great 👍🏽
Thanks for watching :-)
Thank you for this video!
You are so welcome!
Just tried fermented tofu for the first time today. Would love to see recipes with it.
It reminded me very much of Roquefort (a blue cheese I used to like a lot before going vegan). That's so great. I missed that taste a lot.
The only difference I can remember is, that the tofu is sweeter and some aftertaste is missing. But it's a really good replacement (not one to one but it fills the gap).
Thanks for sharing your experience! I hadn't made the blue cheese connection before!
I feel educated now thank you
this is so helpful! it also helps me understand why my extra firm tofu doesn't look the same as others. where I am (southern us) I've only ever seen the extra firm that comes in liquid, and it seems that's less common in other countries.
I can imagine is so frustrating to find recipes not coming out the same because of this!
Such a great video, thank you! I've only ever really used extra firm tofu but now I want to go out and experiment more :)
How exciting! There's a whole new world for you to discover!
@@marystestkitchen Yes there is! I commented before I finished watching but I love that smoked tofu - I remember when there was a sriracha version and a black pepper one which was so good! I live 2.5 hours away from an Asian grocery store so my options are super limited
@@LettuceVegOut what a throwback! I had totally forgotten about them but I DO remember them now!
Thanks so much for this guide! I’ve bought fermented tofu, but wasn’t sure how to use it in the past so this helps a lot. I really love your channel!! ❤️
You're most welcome! Recently, I made a pasta dish and used the fermented tofu as the main flavour of the sauce and it was really good! I am now thinking of it as an alternative to a bouillon cube!
Thank you!!!! Loved this video! And loved seeing your beautiful face and cute cat!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love this tofu guide! Very informative!
p.s. Have made your miso marinated tofu a couple of times now…so good!
How about tofu shirataki noodles? I didn’t like the House Foods brand ones, but love the Kibun Foods brand “Healthy Noodle” one from Costco. Marketed as “keto friendly”, so you might be interested.
Yay! I'm glad you like it - this video AND the miso tofu :-D
I don't know if I'd had tofu shirataki noodles...just shirataki noodles! Thanks for the suggestion. I will check it out :-)
informative!!🌼🌷
Glad it was helpful!
Very informative and well explained Mary 😁 I was hoping that you would also talk about dry tofu sticks and sheets and how to use them in cooking? Sending you love from Melbourne Australia 🖤
soy skin sticks? They are not quite tofu :-) BUT wonderful idea! I will think on it
@@marystestkitchen thank you for your response...would be awesome if you could do a video on how to use dry tofu sticks and sheets....I have had them at Asian restaurants and they are oh so YUMMY 😁🖤💕
Thank you!
You're very welcome!
Much much thanks. 🙏🏾. ❤.
You are so welcome
We buy the brand you showed pics of because you couldn’t find. I get it by the case from Amazon. We use soft and firm from this brand. It’s a lovely brand. My daughter is autistic so doesn’t do change well. This one she declared “not beany tasing.” We use it in braised dishes and we use the soft for eating with flavorings/cold, or for miso soups.
i really appreciated this, Mary, though half the tofus (tofi?) I cannot get here, even in Asian stores, for some reason. I can't remember the last time I saw smoked tofu, for example, but it's been years. A new H Mart opened recently in the burbs here, so I'll pop in the next time I'm out that way and have a perusal of their tofu section. Thanks for posting!
H-mart is going to be KEY!
Your channel is up there with the best cooking content that is ever put out! This is so informative and so much more information then I'll ever need!
Thank you!
Thank you🤗
I'm just now diving into tofu for a few reasons. My husband's heart health isn't good, the cost of meat is ridiculous, and my kids actually don't seem to like eating most meats. I'm trying to find protein alternatives for my whole family at this point. So this is a great video for first time tofu eaters to learn from ❤
Thanks for sharing. 👍💕
You are so welcome
Oh my tofu, this is an exciting direction Mary!
Tofu is always a good direction, right? ;-)
@@marystestkitchen amen sista
Never made smoked tofu aww your cat wanted to join in your video thanks for clearing it about all different kinds of tofu there is
🥰 You're most welcome
Thanks a lot, Mary. And please, can you tell us what is the timing for double-freezing the tofu?
Thanks for the video very helpful! I had no idea there are so many tofu options . I think I have an Asian market close to me I’m gonna have to stop in sometime to check out the tofu options !
If using soft/silken tofu for smoothies or desserts do you need to press it first or do you use it as is?
No need to press it. Just drain any excess water from the package
@@marystestkitchen thank you !
I am desperate to find “puffed” tofu! LoL. I checked local and no luck. On;one, didn’t look puffed anymore, it looked soggy/wet🤢. Such a great video, so helpful. Thanks 💜👍🏻
Hmmm some puffed tofu looks not crispy because of how it's packaged but it becomes crispy after you pan fry or bake it. So maybe you found it like that.
But also, maybe you found the stewing tofu version which isn't puffy but on the outside, it looks like it might be puffed tofu...
I know there is a tutorial on youtube on how to make them but ...seems dangerous to me haha
I just love tofu
me too :-)
Mary, do you have a tofu recipe book? I love your tofu videos!
I don't but maybe I should make one? :-)
Any chance of a review of tofu/bean curd strips, knots, sheets, or snacks?
In addition to differences in firmness, there is also flavour differences in my experience. I made my own tofu for a short time from locally grown soy beans until I tried Fontaine Santé Tofu. This brand of tofu IMO is the very best Tofu available in the Canadian market. Better still, Costco stocks it in a 4 pack :-).
Thanks for sharing. I don't think I've tried that one!
Just watched latest video where you mentioned Burmese tofu. Ohh, nice rabbit hole to explore. Are there other 'national' types?
could you make tofu deserts or sweet breakfeast tofu items in one of your episodes? I have a sweet tooth but think this could be a good way to at least have more protein in them.
hmmm what a good idea! I usually gravitate towards savory but trying to make sweet tofu breakfasts sounds like a fun challenge
Mmmm never had the super pressed tofu … 🥰 I love smoked tofu though so I know I’d like super pressed ‼️
It's smoked tofu's plainer, less glamourous sister :D
Thanks for watching!
I wish I could figure out tofu noodles, they looked so great, but they were inedible
I think I have figured it out! Dry-frying first and treating them similar to shirataki noodles seem to improve them.
Great job, Mary!!!
Too bad I am allergic to soy.
For someone the at dislikes the spongy texture of tofu, this video made a bit more sense about the differences. It seems like a lot of trial and error and spending! Loool😂. I am trying to find staple uses for it in my diet. So far, silken/soft is used for oilfree mayo recipe and smoothies. I have not come up with how to make it taste meaty yet, but the freezing method is my next try out using extra firm. I'm based in the UK so anyone with any tips on brands to use for a meat like texture and not that spongy texture, please share your tips. Would be most grateful.
Can you touch on tofu skin products and recipes, please🙏
I placed mine in the airfryer for a few minutes, then put it in a curry. It was great and tasty.😊
Great 👍
for me the red fermented bean curd tastes like gochujang, mixed with the funk from a strong funky cheese, and a little bit of alcohol
I want to try the fish tofu. I love tuna salad but don’t buy tuna. Thanks so much for all the information. I would love to see you make “tofu” tuna salad. It’s got celery, pickles, red peppers, vegan mayo and pretty much any veggies you want. I put jalapeños in mine. 😃❤️
yum jalapeno "tuna" salad sounds super delicious!
@@marystestkitchen 💜😃👍💜
nice 😘😘💯💖💖💙
Thanks 🤗
My god I feel like I am living in cave all this different tofu I am in the UK this is so enlightening.
Seek out the local East Asian grocery stores :-) I'm sure you can find them!
Because I live in a small village i hours drive from a supermarket or Asian store in Australia, I intend to make my own tofu, one thing I am going to try is adding flavours to the tofu during the milk to curd process process before pressing, Can you offer some advice on this?
Ken
Australia
Omg!!!!
The lengths I would go to in order to get my hands on some tofu faux fish-cakes…
It's honesty VERY worth the extra effort
At 2:40 when you say rice or noodle killer, are you referring to leftovers? Or something else
No, it "kills" rice as in it's so good that you're gonna need a lot of rice to go with it
So if I am new to cooking tofu would you recommend medium firm tofu, pressed, for marinating and air frying/baking?
I love medium firm the best. Just cube it and put it in your airfryer. Sprinkle salt over top and air fry 400°F for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, get a big mixing bowl and add lots of black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and any other spices you love. When the tofu is done, add it to this bowl and toss it. You might sprinkle over some soy sauce too if you like.
Air fry again for a few more minutes and you'll have the easiest delicious tofu to put over rice and veggies.
@@marystestkitchen Sounds great! Thank you!
Uh oh! Cleaning freezer and found frozen tofu that has Dec 06, 2020 date on it. Do you think I should just toss it?
Toss. It will be safe to eat but taste absolutely terrible.
Which soy-free tofu would be the best replacement for silken tofu?
I haven't made a soy-free silken tofu yet. I would imagine fava beans would do best since they are the closest to soy beans in characteristics. I would make the fava bean milk, then use the silken tofu process (I have a tutorial for the soy version on my channel).
Does choosing organic or non-gmo tofu really matter, in terms of quality and health?
I choose organic when possible because I am convinced by the flavour that they are using better quality beans. All tofu I have EVER found at the stores are non-gmo btw. No need to search high and low :-)
@@marystestkitchen Thank you!!
Can you you tofu nuts? Cashews and Almonds?
Here in France I also find tofu labeled as “traditional” or “homemade” in my asian supermarket. I’d say it’s soft-medium ?
Interesting to know! Thanks for sharing :-)
Quick question. How do I make super firm tofu? The most I can get from making it is a firm, maybe border line extra firm. Do I need to crush it with more weight?
Theoretically, yes. In practice, I haven't achieve that commercial super pressed texture.
@@marystestkitchen me either 😐
What about sprouted tofu! 🙂💛
I would love to learn a good batter recipe please...batter makes everything better 🙏
hmmm I should have to think about it
Mam I am Indian guy and I want to buy super pressed tofu can you give me any online shopping link to buy from overseas because in India we didn't see it.
I'd say there's more tofu products than mentioned. Dried tofu (aka taupok), tofu skin (Yuba), and of course black tofu (made with black soy beans). 😁
Totally! I just bought as many as I could for this round.
what are your thoughts in double freezing medium/firm tofu?
It's in the video during the medium firm tofu section ✌️
How do we tell the freshness please?
smell it! It should not smell funky...unless it's the fermented kind