Tofu

We talk about the normal plain tofu, rather than other varieties.

Simplest Cooking

Some tofu can be eaten directly, but some need to be cooked. It’s for hygiene and also for getting rid of fishy smell (豆腥味).

1. Boil: add some salt to the water, and boil the tofu for a few minutes.
2. Steam: steam the tofu for a few minutes.
   • Dip garlic sauce (minced garlic with soy sauce) for the boiled or steamed tofu.
   • Another way is to mix with sliced spring onion, salt and salad oil (or any kind of flavoured oil). This is commonly known in China as 小葱拌豆腐 (Tofu with Spring Onion).
     
3. Pan Fry: add some salt to oil, and pan-fry the tofu until golden brown.

Classic Dishes

Chinese

1. Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐): a famous Sichuan cuisine. Sound more home-style in China but very popular in Japan. Cut tofu into cubes, boil them. Stir fry minced meat with Sichuan soybean paste, fermented soybeans, pickled chilli and ginger and chilli and Sichuan pepper flake. Braise tofu cubes for several minutes and thicken the soup with starch water.
2. Tofu with Preserved Eggs (皮蛋豆腐): a home-style Chinese cold dish. Cook the tofu and slice it (preserve the shape). Cook the preserved eggs, slice them and sprinkle around tofu. Pour the sauce (minced garlic and ginger with soy sauce, vinegar, sugar) and spring onion slices.
3. Cabbage and Tofu Casserole (白菜豆腐煲): a simple and healthy home-style dish. Fry tofu (and pork belly slices, optional), bring them to a casserole, add water and simmer.

Japanese

1. Sukiyaki (すき焼き): Japanese hotpot. Fry the onion and spring onion, then add the sukiyaki sauce (soy sauce, sugar, sake, mirin, and water) and boil everything. Chinese cabbage is one of the vegetable choices in the hotpot. 2.Miso Soup (味噌汁): tofu is the essential ingredient in miso soup, which is a soup using dashi stock and miso paste, with other ingredients like wakame, daikon, and spring onions. Add miso paste at last, melt in a spoon slowly and reduce the heat.

Korean

1. Jeongol (전골): Korean hotpot. Add the Jeongol sauce (minced garlic, soy sauce, Korean red pepper flake or paste, fish sauce, soup soy sauce, sugar and water) and boil everything. Chinese cabbage is one of the vegetable choices in the hotpot.