Forgive me for writing my post in this community, I simply don’t have other places in which ask people for advice
I wanted to ask about a specific ingredient found in many cuisines
The god damn tofu
First then I tried it, it was in my home country (in eastern Europe), it was extra firm tofu with some sort of herbs added. I tried it as it is. Tasted like shit. Then i found recipe, soy glazed fried tofu to be exact. Made it. And still, the crust of tofu pieces was okay bc of the sauce, but inside still
Tasted. Like. Shit
Good day to be meat eater, kinda
But i thought “okay, my country is far away from asia, and there is almost none immigrants. So may be i bought it in the wrong place”
Today, while being in EU country with plenty of asian stores, i bought it again. (Picture included, don’t mind mini Nero at it).Tasted it raw. Fricking bio-mass, still tastes bad
Well, let’s find a recipe again. This time it was a fried tofu with peanut sauce which I tried before with udon noodles and liked a lot
Long story short, tasted… Like something i would eat only if i will be starving
Just can’t like this ingredient. May be something wrong with me? What to do, how to cook it right?
I will try tomorrow in kimchi stew where it belongs too, may be this will work
Would appreciate any help and advice
by Mycopok
16 Comments
Try some mapo tofu! I love it!
Correct me if I am wrong, but isnt extra firm silken an oxymoron?
How about in a stew? But you don’t have to love it — you may just dislike the soybean taste and it is what it is. You can focus on ingredients you like instead.
Why is it so important for you to like tofu? If there’s a food you really dislike I recommend not eating it
I only like pan-fried tofu. I can’t eat the soft stuff. I do not like the texture.
It took me a while to come around to tofu as well, but Imo, tofu goes great with a lot of spice.
Kimchi, szechuan (?) Peppercorn sauce
Mapo tofu is one of my favorites!
I would try it with some Indian and Thai inspired sauces as well.
Did I understand correctly that you are eating tofu raw? If so, I strongly recommend against that.
As for eating it, the beauty of tofu is that it absorbs flavour really well. If you do a stir fry and sear the tofu first, you get a much nicer texture, and it will still absorb the sauce you use. Another good idea is to marinate it, prior to cooking.
As a Korean food sub, I’d recommend [this recipe](https://www.koreanbapsang.com/dubu-jorim-korean-braised-tofu/), for fried tofu. (She has many easy to follow recipes on that site.) It’s also nice if you just apply salt and pepper powder, then enjoy it with a sauce on the side (I like a mix of soy sauce and chilli paste)
For that I would only do like mapo tofu… but even then I’m really not a fan of that brand >_<
This is not a great brand, but it’s a silken tofu, which is great for soups, stews and this dish: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr-pW5M1Eaw&ab_channel=EastMeetsKitchen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr-pW5M1Eaw&ab_channel=EastMeetsKitchen)
I can’t get on with silken tofu at all the texture just isn’t for me . I tried a smoked extra firm tofu in a kimchi stew and that hits the spot and make that as a comfort meal. I will keep trying different recipes with it, as I would like to enjoy it in more things but I too have struggled with falling completely in love with tofu .
To be honest, I’m with you. And trust me, I’ve had/tried it a lot more in many different ways. I don’t like it. HOWEVER, I found a few ways/versions I could enjoy.
First is Yubu (fried tofu) in dish like pad thai, or drunken noodle when I get bored with meat. Or sometimes as extra. Pork and tofu extra worked really well. Fried tofu doesn’t have that mushy texture I don’t like. It’s more like the fake meat or mushroom. Second, sundubu jjigae (soft tofu stew). For some reason, I found myself enjoying the silkiness of the soft tofu, especially when the stew is a bit spicy. It feels soothing and calming to my burning mouth. Again, it goes well with the meat in the stew. Third is mapo tofu. It’s kinda the same as I have sundubu jjigae. It is soothing when it is with the mouth numbing sichuan style spice and the minced pork. I donmt like any other ways so far. I’ve lived long enough and tried enough, and it’s quite funny that these are the only occasions I enjoy tofu. Other times, I just tolerate it or never voluntarily seek for it. I still want to like it though as it’s healthy and good alternative when I want to try meatless meal. Hope you can find recipe/cuisine you enjoy soon! Good luck!
Tofu is definitely not my favorite, except for fried. I do like to get soy puffs at Hmart to put in soups or hot pot, or I crisp them up in a pan and make some sort of dipping sauce.
My husband is not a big tofu fan (I am), but when I make any soup or especially ramyeon with silken tofu, he can’t get enough. If there’s any jjigae or other soup you’re especially fond of, you could try adding it in. It takes in flavor well and the silken kind, while squishy, of course, is not sponge like, which is what my husband doesn’t necessarily about other tofu dishes. And if you just don’t like it, that’s OK too
I think the beauty of tofu is that it can be versatile in texture and a flavor absorber. Think of flavors and textures you like and try to work from there.
Personally I like silken tofu over firm tofu, so dishes like soondubu jigae, miso soup, mapo tofu are delicious to me. These also tend to have stronger flavors that the tofu absorb.
I also like fried tofu and sweet soy sauce based flavors so agedashi tofu (kinda like tempura) or inari sushi are also ways I enjoy tofu.
Sometimes I like slightly more firm tofu in dwaengjang jigae, but that’s also because I love the flavor of soybean paste and the tofu really absorbs that flavor well.
Also it’s okay not to like tofu, I not a fan of firm tofu, and I really dislike korean pan fried tofu even though I grew up with it lol 🤷
Tofu is like egg white or beans. Who eats plain beans or egg whites? You have to season it or use it as an ingredient in something. Like others are saying, it’s much much more than a meat substitute though it is a good protein source. It can add a smooth silkiness to a dish and it’s delicious. I eat a ton of tofu.
Here’s another example, plain unseasoned boiled chicken would be pretty unappetizing to me.
First off, please use paragraphs. That’s a long ass post. TLDR.
Like a lot folks have said, just don’t eat it if you don’t like it.