Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Tofu Tofu Tofu (include own fake Chinese inflection)

Destitution is the mother of vegetarianism. Ok, I'm not destitute but my ass is pretty poor lately. So... I've been eating a lot of tofu (which I sometimes say with a grating and grossly un-PC Chinese inflection when I need a little extra encouragement to eat fermented bean curd for the fifth day in a row).

Japan, not surprisingly, is tofu paradise. Here are some types and ways of eating tofu in Japan.
Kinugoshi - Soft tofu often eaten with a splash of soy sauce, grated ginger, and scallions
Momen - Firmer tofu great for stir frys or fake steak dishes. Similar but not as rubbery or as hard as the tofu wannabe hippies eat in the US.
Yudofu - Translates as hot water tofu and is boiled tofu dipped in a vinegar soy sauce called ponzu.
Tamago - Egg tofu. Breaks strict vegetarian rules but adds springier texture and egg-licious flavor. Who doesn't need a little egg added to their soy bean?
Gomadofu - Sesame tofu. Rich in flavor with a creamy texture. Its flavor can come on strong for some folks but worth acquiring a taste for if you're getting bored of standard tofu. A much better way to add excitement to your tofu diet than insulting the Chinese and their lovely language.

I'm no culinary genius but here is a fun way I've used tofu in my cooking:
Sliced in ramen noodles as a chashu (roasted pork) replacement. Chashu is another fun word to say in fake Chinese. Extra tip. Make Top Ramen or instant noodle of choice bearable by adding a soft-boiled egg sliced in half and a butt load of chopped green onions as toppings.

The red stuff is Korean spicy fermented cabbage called kimchi. If you look carefully you can see noodle peaking out from the bowl at 4 o'clock.