TOFU - love it or leave it?

[okisteve]

Tofu is a product that people either love or hate with a vengeance. It seems to be the object of ridicule by many confirmed meat-eaters. I eat meat AND I like tofu also.

It is a healthy, low-fat source of protein, almost zero cholesterol, and I think the Okinawan tofu tastes great. It has been a staple of Asian diets for centuries and I think contributes to the health and longevity of the Japanese. I make tofu champuru once a week, use it in spaghetti sauce (yes!), and had it in soup last night.

One of my favorites is the Japanese style of just a small block of soft tofu with katsuo bushi or grated ginger and soyu, maybe some chopped green onion. It's a typical bar snack.

There are some interesting variations of tofu here too - peanut tofu and ????

YMMV!

[thistle]

I look forward to the replies here - never met many american men who can handle it!:barf:

Me I like it and eat it quite often, esp. tofu champuru and miso soup.
It is an acquired taste though and you learn which brands taste better than others.

[Hollarey]

I have never tried it before. Does it have a similar taste to anything else to give me an idea of what it taste like? I would like to try it just to say I have.

[thistle]

No, Hollarey it is a very bland taste. It cannot be just eaten on its own.

That is why it is used in soup, or stir fries, stews(nabe), etc. It is sometimes eaten just cold with bonito flakes and soy sauce on it.

Have you ever had 'sukiyaki?'

[Muku]

No, Hollarey it is a very bland taste. It cannot be just eaten on its own.



Thistle I would say that depends on the tofu. Peanut tofu is fine by itself without any topping added.

Plus the tofu used here in Okinawa is different that mainland. Okinawan tofu is harder and does not crumble the same way as kinogoshi tofu, the softer tofu used both here but which originally comes from mainland.

Okinawan tofu is used a lot in stir fry's so it needs to be that way.

I love both meat an tofu. I often eat kinogoshi tofu with soy sauce and green onion topping for a quick lunch when dont have much time and need the energy.

Have you also eaten tofu-yo? It is tofu that is marinated in miso and awamori for about 6 months or more and turns into the consistency of wine cheese. Great stuff, particularly with the pickled carasu, tiny little salty fish.

[TheLastDon]

I love tofu, especially Agedashi or most fried tofu. I like the cold stuff as well.

Muku where do you buy tofu-yo?

[DougP]

Man I love Tofu all kinds too. The only problem is you can't keep it for too long after you prepare it or cook it. Goes great with so many dishes. Man I'm hungry again.:D

[dk]

For me, tofu is just tofu. I can eat it, but it's just something neutral. Like water or rice.

[Muku]

I
Muku where do you buy tofu-yo?
You can get it at just about any large department store grocery section it might be in a box like this.

http://www.netresearch.jp/index.files/tofuyo_syurei.jpg

[TheProsecutor]

Loooooooooooooove za tofu! It's gleat!!

[Hollarey]

I wouldnt know where to start with trying it. Give me some ideas.

[P_chan]

yuck :barf: I hate tofu!

My wife always eats it the with little fish on top, and threatens me with a piece:D

[TheProsecutor]

yuck :barf: I hate tofu!

My wife always eats it the with little fish on top, and threatens me with a piece:D

Funny. My wife threatens me with natto.

Would you eat tofu before natto, P?

[Muku]

Funny. My wife threatens me with natto.

Would you eat tofu before natto, P?
Take them both along with a nice prime rib steak.

[DougP]

Funny. My wife threatens me with natto.

Would you eat tofu before natto, P?

Heck yeah... uugh I'm glad my wife and I both hate natto :barf::barf:

Tofu is just plain awesome:thumbup:

[okisteve]

I think I'm slowly building up immunity to natto, but it's only about 30% so far. Talk about acquired tastes! I still need to remove myself to another room when the kids are scarfing it down, and then they leave the empty containers around...

I wouldnt know where to start with trying it. Give me some ideas. Hollarey - you'll probably find it most often in miso soup, which usually comes with all "teishoku" set meals in Okinawan restaurants. Or else in goya champuru, but you might not care for the goya (bitter gourd) at first.

Or, you could just pick up a small container at any grocery market - it's dead cheap anyway, and drizzle a little soy sauce over it and eat it right out of the container.

Tofu-ya is also a little strange tasting at first - I would not recommend starting with that.

[DougP]

I wouldnt know where to start with trying it. Give me some ideas.

Lots of ways to get started on it. Like miso soup which sometimes has small pieces of tofu in it. Tofu champuru is another great dish. Recently I made a really nice Italian winter stew and added some small cuts of tofu to it. Tofu is great because it absorbs the flavor of whatever you're cooking it in. I think its the texture that sometimes turns newcomers off a bit.

[kombu_kid]

Yeah, count me in.....I can wolf down a big ol' block o' tofu. I actually prefer it cold with the hanagatsuo (fish flakes) and green onion and soy sauce.....maybe a little ginger too.

How about those cold noodles.....hiyashi-zomen (?) Mmmmmmmmm, that's good too!

[okisteve]

I love tofu, especially Agedashi or most fried tofu. I like the cold stuff as well.


Likewise. My other favorite is the crumbled tofu mixed with egg, seaweed and other vegetables and fried. I forget what it's called but sometimes I just have a whole chunk of it for lunch, straight up.

[NaNaKo]

I LOVE tofu! It's my favorite food! So many people here love it, too! <3

My brother hates tofu; he swears that it has a nasty taste/flavor/smell to it. :barf: When we're in a restaurant, I always like to order a tofu dish just to annoy the heck out of him. :p

[TheProsecutor]

I really like Tofu mixed with goya and moyashi (bean sprouts). Some people mix goya champuru (i.e. tofu with goya) with eggs and pork to lessen the bitterness of the goya, but I really like that bitter goya taste with the tofu, so I always tell restaurantst to nuki the pork and eggs if possible. Then I put that red shoga on top that is also usually put on top of ramen.

So, try tofu goya with moyashi and shoga. Hmmmmm....goooood! And good for ya!!

[Hollarey]

So, try tofu goya with moyashi and shoga. Hmmmmm....goooood! And good for ya!!


So yeah, I have no idea what even of that is. Yeah, I need to go to dinner with you guys.

[Go-Shay]

I love tofu, I can eat plain or mixed in a recipe. If you mix it with Goya (the super vegetable) it creates a very power packed dish with very low calories.:thumbup1:

[okisteve]

I have never tried it before. Does it have a similar taste to anything else to give me an idea of what it taste like? I would like to try it just to say I have.

Have you ever had soymilk? Some tofu has a similar bland but nutty taste. A lady once told me it reminds her of .... well, maybe some other time.

[Hollarey]

Have you ever had soymilk? Some tofu has a similar bland but nutty taste. A lady once told me it reminds her of .... well, maybe some other time.


Yeah, I like soymilk.

uh...so..what did it remind her of?

[okisteve]

Yeah, I like soymilk.

uh...so..what did it remind her of?

uh...another white liquid, not milk, and not from female animals.

[DocTurtle]

I <3 tofu!! :D

[Asshat]

I have never liked tofu. I have eaten it many times...and the champuru is a poor man's food.

[okisteve]

PRETTY DARN AMAZING, EH THISTLE? All these red-blooded guys who love the stuff.

I made the OP because I used to buy organically raised beef in Oregon from a young rancher at a farmers market, who seemed like a nice guy. One day we were talking about making beef jerky and I mentioned that I had tried to come up with a good tofu jerky recipe, and he practically hooted me out of his stall.

[DocTurtle]

I am American and I love the tofu. One great thing about it is that it tastes like whatever you have it in. Goes great with spam and of course miso soup! :D

[okisteve]

I have never liked tofu. I have eaten it many times...and the champuru is a poor man's food.

Saw a kid yesterday at Kumon with a cool t-shirt with "uminchu" written on it in English. I guess it was someone else though:)

Well, what isn't a poor man's food in Japan? Kobe beef and fatty maguro, I suppose, and those little delicacies they serve at banquets. But I really prefer the common folks' food because it's usually tastier.

[eelecurb]

I made the OP because I used to buy organically raised beef in Oregon from a young rancher at a farmers market, who seemed like a nice guy. One day we were talking about making beef jerky and I mentioned that I had tried to come up with a good tofu jerky recipe, and he practically hooted me out of his stall.
That's the attitude I grew up with in beef country. No-one but some hot pink spandex-clad, big city limp wristed part-time aerobics teacher would eat the stuff. Or so we thought...

[P_chan]

Funny. My wife threatens me with natto.

Would you eat tofu before natto, P?

Actually, yes I would. I hate natto more then tofu, and my wife threatens me with natto as well.

Something about rotten beans that smell like feet. Just doesn't get my mouth watering:barf:

[Asshat]

Saw a kid yesterday at Kumon with a cool t-shirt with "uminchu" written on it in English. I guess it was someone else though:)

Well, what isn't a poor man's food in Japan? Kobe beef and fatty maguro, I suppose, and those little delicacies they serve at banquets. But I really prefer the common folks' food because it's usually tastier.

My handle was uminchu way before the damn shirts came out! lol

I suppose champuro was better than the diet of sweet potatoes they had here for generations. (I know little of Japan diets)

When some of my friends go out to eat, they are paying for champuro, oden or whatever it's called (pig knuckes with extra fat) and I mess with them for it.

Seriously, as a chef-hobbiest, I can always do better than champuro, or anything with spam in it. Never had kobe but have caught hundreds of pounds of "fatty" maguro.

[Asshat]

Actually, yes I would. I hate natto more then tofu, and my wife threatens me with natto as well.

Something about rotten beans that smell like feet. Just doesn't get my mouth watering:barf:

Oh and Island breakfast! (Not this big island) An egg mostly cooked, poured on a bowl of rice dripping in soy shoyu, a side of yaggi soup and a little plastic cup of natto!

Great hangover breakfast after a night of sake and playing catch with the jar with the habu in it.

[kombu_kid]

Have you ever had soymilk? Some tofu has a similar bland but nutty taste. A lady once told me it reminds her of .... well, maybe some other time.

Originally Posted by Hollarey
Yeah, I like soymilk.

uh...so..what did it remind her of?

uh...another white liquid, not milk, and not from female animals.

PRETTY DARN AMAZING, EH THISTLE? All these red-blooded guys who love the stuff.

Uhhhhh...well.....now that you put it that way.....is it too late to change our minds?\:-)

[okisteve]

Uhhhhh...well.....now that you put it that way.....is it too late to change our minds?:-)

Assuming you are a guy AND NOT REFERRING TO TOFU... I AM NOT GOING THERE!