Discover The Top 7 Tofu Delicacies Around The World

Exploring various tofu dishes from different corners of the world might pleasantly surprise you with flavours you’ll enjoy so much that you might want to get over the idea that tofu is only a boring replacement for meat.

Although there might not be much flavour to the soybean-based curd, you can pair it with almost any product in your pantry to make anything from savoury recipes to sweet treats.

Tofu falls on the firm side of the consistency spectrum. In stir-fries, stiffer is better; nevertheless, for soups, go for soft or delicate silken, which also works well for smoothies and desserts.

Kimchi Jjigae, South Korea

The Korean stew Kimchi jjigae uses kimchi as its main component and is very tasty. Chopped vegetables like potatoes or zucchini, scallions, and chopped tofu, pork, or shellfish are typically added as extra ingredients. Particularly popular in South Korea, kimchi stew is typically served as a communal dinner and is best consumed fresh off the stove.

You get the most flavour from the stew when you use older kimchi for this recipe. Along with other traditional Korean sides (banchan), kimchi jjigae is typically served with rice on the side.

Mapo Doufu, China

Mapo doufu, a dish of Sichuan origins, is made of tofu cubes soaked in a hot sauce with minced meat-typically pork or beef-and fermented black beans called douchi. The dish’s name derives from the female chef who is credited with creating it, and it is supposed to have originated in a modest Chen Xingsheng restaurant in Chengdu in 1862.

Specifically, the term “mapo” refers to an abbreviation that means “pockmarked grandma,” alluding to the way the lady looks. Sichuan peppercorns, chilli oil, and doubanjiang, a broad bean paste, provide the dish’s numbing spiciness and heat. Other ingredients include wine rice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, chopped green onions as a garnish, and optional starch, which acts as a thickener.