Not everyone lives in areas with vibrant East Asian restaurants (Chinese, Thai, Korean, Japanese) but many of us do and I suspect tofu isn't an unknown among such folks.

Tofu is nearly tasteless and as a result I find it hard to like. Yes, it takes on the flavors of what's added to it, because it has almost no flavor of its own to contribute. It's inert. In restaurants where you can pick the protein in a dish (like Thai), I find any prepared using an animal protein instead of tofu to be more tasty. By definition, it has to be, it's as if the question were "add flavor or don't add flavor?"

Tofu was used as a significant protein source for impoverished masses in East Asia for centuries when animal protein wasn't available for everyone. The prevalence of lactose intolerance in Asians is quite high and so protein from milk was also not a commonly used source.

Average height and weight (not necessarily obesity) of East Asians has skyrocketed beginning in the second half of the 20th century, as more animal protein became available and affordable and they moved away from tofu as a prevalent protein source and carbo-heavy diets (rice and wheat). One can't help but wonder if the substitution of better protein sources is a contributing factor.

I liken the taste and texture of extra firm tofu to cooked egg whites. I used to make pressed & baked tofu slices often, marinated in soy sauce garlic, fresh rosemary and black pepper.

Haven't done that for years now, since we got kind of tired of it. But that is a good point about inexpensive protein sources becoming more popular as the cost of meat continues to rise.

You can also crumble it into fried rice, or casserole dishes where it adds protein without altering the taste.

I have tried tofu. I found it vile. No need to waste anymore calories on it, IMO. More for everyone who loves it......

We eat tofu often. Grands love it crispy with soy sauce.

I can't eat tofu as it makes me ill. I haven't tried the fermented stuff from Japan though which is supposed to be a lot healthier than what we get in the States.

I have tried tofu multiple times, fixed different ways, and I absolutely cannot eat it! Horrible stuff, IMO.

Chinese restaurant, locally owned, serves tofu in their hot and sour soup/ Love it.

I like small amounts in soups or stir fries. I never got the hang of preparing it as a main ingredient. I haven't noticed it in the stores here. Now I'm curious -- is it really not offered, or is it shelved somewhere I never look? Huh.

"Chinese restaurant, locally owned, serves tofu in their hot and sour soup/ Love it."

Have you tasted the hot and sour soup in that restaurant on the same day with tofu, and without tofu? Is there any difference in taste?

nickel here it is either in the section with the chilled sauerkraut or the organic food section. If you have a Sprouts store they have several types in the one I go to.

Thanks maifleur, no Sprouts here but I bet either the Food Maxx (international) or our Food Co-op carries it. It's just odd that I haven't come across it in the other grocery stores because we (used to) shop almost every day. It would be refrigerated but not frozen, wouldn't it?

Nickel, most of my supermarkets, including Walmart, stock tofu in the produce section. Yes, refrigerated. Wegmans used to have it in a separate cooler across the aisle from the soymilk and nutmilks. They may have changed the layout though.

Annie, the "fermented stuff from Japan" is probably tempeh. Tofu isn't fermented, but tempeh is. We used to make both. Tempeh originated in Indonesia. I love it, and used to get it nice and fresh at an Asian market owned by Indonesian-Americans. It's very different from tofu, and I don't think it's as versatile--but that could be because of my relatively limited experience with it.

I wonder why tofu makes you ill. The only ingredients are soybeans, water, and a coagulant (magnesium chloride, calcium sulfate, and calcium chloride are three I'm familiar with). Perhaps you could be allergic to soy?

I once told a Japanese friend that tofu didn't have any taste. He laughed. For Japanese it does have a taste.

I like it okay, but I'm half Japanese and grew up eating it. I don't use it in non-Japanese dishes though. My mom mostly used the firm tofu, but when I left home I usually use the softer stuff. I like the texture better in miso soup.

Nickel it is my understanding that if tofu is frozen as it thaws it releases moisture and forms small pieces. There are several types of tofu with different firmness's. My friend puts weights on it in a strainer to press out some of the liquid before using. What is called silken tofu is the stuff that was probably used in roy4me's mousse.

While it does not make me ill as such the soft tofu, not silken, has a mouth feel that I do not like. Because I take thyroid I have to limit the amount of soybean products that I use so have not experimented with tofu but have had some interesting conversations about it.

Back in the 70's or early 80's, I don't remember for sure exactly when, but my sister and I were on a 'health food' kick. We both tried tofu in every conceivable way we could think of, trying to find a way to be able to eat it and enjoy it. Never happened. Life is too short and I'm too old to waste time and calories on stuff like that. Those of you that like it are more than welcome to my share!

Rusty

Thank for mentioning it. I will buy some when I go grocery shopping. It's good for losing weight. :-)

Alisande, Respect!

Coincidentally, I just bought two cookbooks because I want to do more with soy, including making tofu from scratch. The first is The New Soy Cookbook by Lorna Sass. I haven't looked through it much yet. The second is The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook, an update of the one put out by "The Farm" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Farm_(Tennessee) in Tennessee. I had access to the original version back in the late '70s, so knew it had the basic how-to's, the starting with soybeans themselves.

Hey, tofu has flavor; it has a delicate flavor.

I mentioned on another thread that I sometimes see train tanker cars of HFCS. Well, here in the Midwest, when it isn't a corn product going down the rails, it is a soy product going down the rails. I might as well know more about how to directly cook the things grown right around here, There might not be so many pigs and cows eating them in the future, so Maybe we people can eat some more corn and soy directly

Something I forgot to mention before, that should be of concern to alisande and others, is that a very high percentage of US soy bean production (like more than 90%) is genetically modified. Same is true of corn.

I don't know if that's true for these products of organic sources or not. Perhaps not. But those who think that by eating tofu that they're closer to the land or doing something positive for the environment should consider this.

Love tofu. We don't eat it often, maybe once a month. I usually freeze it to firm it up.

I only tried tempeh once. Not a fan, but I should give it another chance.

I read that it's almost impossible to get non-gmo corn and soy in the US.

It works for me in hot and sour soup. I like the texture of it in the soup. I don't think I've ever had it in anything else...as far as I know anyway.

I have two brands of tofu in my fridge; both are labeled Non-GMO. I find it harder to get non-GMO pasta. I have the best luck with the Italian brands.

When we were making soyfoods commercially genetic engineering wasn't an issue. We used organic soybeans from Iowa and pure nigari from Japan. It was the best tofu ever.

Tofu's texture changes completely when it's frozen. When it thaws out it's aponge-llike. I never cared for it that way, but after reading aok's comment I may give it another try.

I've never really cared for the texture of it fresh, it just seems a little slimy. I thaw it and then press it really well. And I finally found instructions so how to make it like they do in the Asian restaurants. It's really nice and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. Sometimes I can even get it right.

Never liked tofu until a trip to Japan changed it for me. We regularly eat firm tofu in Asian recipes that also include a little ground meat. Press the tofu between tea towels and rip it into “ground meat appearance “ morsels. Our favorite is Mapo Tofu, an easy spicy dish made with 1/4 # ground turkey and 1 # tofu. Also Chicken Larb. You do need some basic Asian condiments and sauces though. I find it funny that there are tofu limits at Walmart in this Covid-19 times!

Forgot to mention that different types of tofu taste different. The stuff in the aseptic boxes (Nasoya?) is usually very soft like custard, and has a bitter flavor, IMPO.

My favorite taste and texture-wise is organic extra firm. It has a slightly nutty flavor with no bitterness. It's sold in the refrigerated section and has some liquid in the package.

When frozen & thawed, tofu gets spongy. Some people like that.

I think the type of coagulant affects the flavor.

Organic rules prohibit using GMOs, BTW.

Spouse and I grew up with tofu so we love it. Our favorite is the custard tofu - soft, fresh, and extremely perishable. It can be served sweet or savory; either way, it must be used within 3 days max as it will spoil.

Most large-scale commercial tofus do not taste anywhere near as good as the tofu from better quality, small-scale tofu companies. They have a bitter, chalky taste in comparison to the best tofus.

When my spouse and I visit a new Japanese restaurant, the first thing we order is the agedashi tofu. It is an exquisitely simple dish and how well the restaurant does it, will show precisely how good - or bad - the kitchen and chef are. It's the same idea as a vinaigrette dressing in a French restaurant - three ingredients, very simple; where it's all about balance and quality.

It was very sad a few years ago when the SF Bay Area lost one of its old time tofu makers in San Jose. It had been open almost 100 years but the third-gen owners decided to retire.

For those who are interested, NPR did a short but lovely article on Ota Tofu in Portland, OR, considered the oldest tofu shop extant. You'll notice they say they thought about automating, bought a machine, tasted the tofu, and shoved the machine back in the box to remain unused!

https://www.npr.org/sections/pictureshow/2020/01/26/778573244/photographing-one-of-americas-oldest-tofu-shops

For those who are particular about the flavor, can you recommend a brand that is widely available? I always buy the organic stuff in water in the produce section. I also have discovered a nice Asian market not too far away.

Now I am obsessed with making raspberry mousse.

Right now my DIL would give her kingdom for her favourite smoked tofu. It's made locally and is so hard to find. She finally put in an order.

For me - I leave it for those who like it.

I always have tofu in our fridge, as we are pretty much vegetarian. Just yesterday I used it in place of meat in my homemade Pho. I have many great recipes for it, and not all are Asian inspired.

Is tofu expensive compared to meat or fish?

I have a tofu kit packed in an envelope. I wonder what the shelf life is. If someone like tofu, it it worth it for them to make their own?

Where I live, tofu is about $3 per pound--much less expensive than meat or fish.

Perhaps your tofu kit is stamped with a Best By date?

When my DH and I moved from Manhattan to rural PA, I missed tofu. At that time (1970s) it wasn't available in the stores here. We didn't even have a Chinese restaurant! So I bought a wooden pressing box and decided to make my own tofu. I soon learned that making tofu in the kitchen is a labor-intensive, time-consuming project. If I remember correctly, it took me two hours to make one pound of tofu. This is how we began thinking about starting up our own tofu shop (manufacturing facility) and making it commercially.

Thanks, Alisande. So, you did begin making it commercially? so much work for a pound of kitchen made tofu. Guess I will be buying mine at a store.

Yes, we had the tofu business for several years. We made the best tofu I've ever tasted. We also made tempeh and tofu products such as "eggless salad." A separate facility made tofu baked products and desserts. I gave tofu cooking demonstrations and workshops, and developed recipes. At one point I provided 35 tofu recipes to Rodale Press for one of their cookbooks.

Good plan to buy it at the store. :-)

We used to make it at home on few occasions. The flavor was awesome but yes it was time consuming. Now I buy organic super firm at the store whenever we need.