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America doesn't know tofu

asteriskmag.com

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Re: America doesn't know tofu

#41

Post by zoklet-enjoyer »

NooneAtAll3 wrote: post #13
PoignardAzur wrote: post #5

If anyone else's wondering whether the author followed up on importing tofu in the US, here's what his webpage says: > It’s nice to meet you. I’m working on promoting Chinese tofus in the States. If you’re not familiar, China has over 20 types of tofus. They taste nothing like conventional white blocks. Some are bready. Others taste like aged cheese. Some bake up like pastry crust. Others melt. > I’m writing a book t…

> They taste nothing like conventional white blocks tofu isn't green?? welp, my life is a lie

Pumpkin seed tofu is green

Re: America doesn't know tofu

#42

Post by zoklet-enjoyer »

wouldbecouldbe wrote: post #31

The best meat replacer really isn't tofu, it's Seitan. It has the umami quality certain meats & cheeses have, you just need to have another bite, that I've not have had with other meat replacements. I've eaten the most delicious vegetarian chicken made of Seitan over a decade ago in a monastery in Xiamen. Still not sure why it hasn't made it's way to the West. Maybe because of the fact its basically pure gluten.

Seitan is so good and easy to make at home

Re: America doesn't know tofu

#43

Post by nothercastle »

Most Americans including myself have no idea how to cook tofu well. If you want to market tofu you need to demo it in grocery stores, show off recipes at farmers markets or host tofu fairs. Somehow you need to show what’s possible with tofu and probably adjust it to American (bland) favor pallet

Re: America doesn't know tofu

#44

Post by neuronic »

wouldbecouldbe wrote: post #31

The best meat replacer really isn't tofu, it's Seitan. It has the umami quality certain meats & cheeses have, you just need to have another bite, that I've not have had with other meat replacements. I've eaten the most delicious vegetarian chicken made of Seitan over a decade ago in a monastery in Xiamen. Still not sure why it hasn't made it's way to the West. Maybe because of the fact its basically pure gluten.

It has? At least in Germany I can easily find Seitan in stores in bigger cities and order copious amounts of organic Seitan online from German vendors.

No marketing, but an example: https://www.korodrogerie.de/bio-seitan-400-g

Re: America doesn't know tofu

#45

Post by flakiness »

liveoneggs wrote: post #39
ecshafer wrote: post #36

This is a nice article, but it does have some parts that seem off base. First you can walk into any chinese grocery store (in america) and get 20 kinds of tofu, thats really not an issue, and chinese restaurants (in chinatown) will sell many kinds of tofu. The other is that the author makes the mistake of over emphasizing the vegetarianism aspect (which i think some comments here also are). Many chinese dishes with t…

Agreed. Tofu is just another food. Being only for vegetarians is just bad marketing. :) I have some stuff in boxes that live in the panty next to the rest of my beans and just use it whenever.

+1

As a Japanese, I was surprised that Tofu is almost always treated as a meat alternative in the US, even in many Chinese restaurants. Where is Mapo-tofu :face-with-rolling-eyes:

But I would consider the tofu-as-meat-alternative "marking" a success, given the massive adoption compared to other Asian ingredients which are pushed to the small Asian corner of the grocery stores.

Re: America doesn't know tofu

#46

Post by syntaxing »

ecshafer wrote: post #36

This is a nice article, but it does have some parts that seem off base. First you can walk into any chinese grocery store (in america) and get 20 kinds of tofu, thats really not an issue, and chinese restaurants (in chinatown) will sell many kinds of tofu. The other is that the author makes the mistake of over emphasizing the vegetarianism aspect (which i think some comments here also are). Many chinese dishes with t…

Yup, even Buddhist do not eat Tofu as “meat”. They’re usually a form soy product but not exclusively tofu.

Re: America doesn't know tofu

#47

Post by FrustratedMonky »

ecshafer wrote: post #36

This is a nice article, but it does have some parts that seem off base. First you can walk into any chinese grocery store (in america) and get 20 kinds of tofu, thats really not an issue, and chinese restaurants (in chinatown) will sell many kinds of tofu. The other is that the author makes the mistake of over emphasizing the vegetarianism aspect (which i think some comments here also are). Many chinese dishes with t…

Since meat is expensive, maybe it is more about 'stretching' a dish. If you can only afford one cut of meat, but need to feed four, the tofu is used to get more protein in cheaply.

That has always been my impression.

Re: America doesn't know tofu

#48

Post by downut »

ecshafer wrote: post #36

This is a nice article, but it does have some parts that seem off base. First you can walk into any chinese grocery store (in america) and get 20 kinds of tofu, thats really not an issue, and chinese restaurants (in chinatown) will sell many kinds of tofu. The other is that the author makes the mistake of over emphasizing the vegetarianism aspect (which i think some comments here also are). Many chinese dishes with t…

Right. I've been eating tofu in the US all my adult life, since about 1983 or so. Everywhere I've lived (FL, GA, NC, AZ, CA) it's been available in standard grocery stores, generally with several varieties. Asian markets, as you note, have many varieties.

I have a number of vegetarian tofu recipes I like but... my favorite Ma Po tofu recipes (there are innumerable versions) have meat in them.

I really dislike how common, ancient foodstuffs get tilted into ideological pigeonholes. There's a galaxy of vegetarian Chinese dishes, of which tofu is just one component. I've started to learn about Asian pickles and oh dear how deep it goes. Just fantastic, and delicious!

Anyway it never occurred to me that people shy away from tofu because it's vegetarian; people cook with eg beans and vegetables, right? I always thought it was because hardly anyone cooks traditional Chinese dishes at home. I didn't do it much myself until I discovered Fuschia Dunlop.

Re: America doesn't know tofu

#49

Post by FrustratedMonky »

wouldbecouldbe wrote: post #31

The best meat replacer really isn't tofu, it's Seitan. It has the umami quality certain meats & cheeses have, you just need to have another bite, that I've not have had with other meat replacements. I've eaten the most delicious vegetarian chicken made of Seitan over a decade ago in a monastery in Xiamen. Still not sure why it hasn't made it's way to the West. Maybe because of the fact its basically pure gluten.

A lot of Vegan meat substitutes are based on Gluten. Like Seitan.

So if you are gluten free and vegan, it's tough.

And you have to be careful because you can't just grab some vegan product and think it is safe. Thus tofu is my go-to for protein.

Re: America doesn't know tofu

#50

Post by fader »

nothercastle wrote: post #43

Most Americans including myself have no idea how to cook tofu well. If you want to market tofu you need to demo it in grocery stores, show off recipes at farmers markets or host tofu fairs. Somehow you need to show what’s possible with tofu and probably adjust it to American (bland) favor pallet

Definitely. It's not _hard_ to cook tofu well, but it's really easy to cook it badly.

One trick I've learned is when frying tofu, let it sit until you're pretty sure it's burned. Then wait at least that long again before flipping it and starting the process over. (It's really, really hard to burn tofu.)

Other tricks include putting it in the freezer before cooking it or microwaving it for 30 seconds before fully cooking. Both of these help to remove water from the tofu, making it firmer and easier to work with.

Tofu will pick up the flavors of whatever it's cooked with, so it's great for adding to dishes with sauces or marinades!

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