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BEANCURD / TOFU
| Mandarin: Doufu |
Cantonese: Dau Foo | Japanese: Tofu |
Beancurd, surprisingly, is more known in the West by its Japanese name 'tofu'. It is
made from soya beans and is one of China's major contribution to the world as a cheap source
of protein. Beancurd is high on nutrition and low in fat and sugar and it is a much
healthier food than either meat or fish at a fraction of the cost.
The
soya bean plant is a legume that has been cultivated in China for thousands of years. A
number of bean by-products constitute an important element in the Chinese diet. Soy sauce is
one of them, and beancurd is the other, as well as miso, the fermented soya bean
paste that is essential to Japanese cooking. Written records indicated that fermented bean
sauces were in use well over two thousand years ago, but no one knows precisely when
beancurd was invented. Records has pointed out that it was introduced to Japan during the
Tang dynasty in the eight century A.D. along with Buddhism.
The
process of making beancurd is not unlike making cheese, only much less time-consuming. The
soya beans are soaked, husked then pounded with water to make soya milk. The mixture is then
filtered, boiled and finally curdled with gypsum.
There
are two basic types of fresh beancurd widely available in the West; soft or silken tofu (
called kinu in Japan ); and a firm type, which Japanese cooks know as momen.
Both are creamy-white in color and are either packed in water or sold in vacuum packs. The
firm type is usually sold in cakes measuring approx. 7 1/2 cm square and 2 1/2 cm thick.
Also available, but only from selected oriental stores, are marinated beancurd, deep-fried
beancurd and pressed beancurd.
aroma
& flavor..
The
quality of fresh beancurd is largely dependent upon the water used to make it. Good quality
beancurd should smell fresh with a faint, pleasant "beany" aroma. On its own, beancurd is
quite bland, but the beauty of it is that its soft, porous texture will absorb the flavor of
any ingredient with which it is cooked.
culinary
uses..
The
nutritional value of beancurd cannot be stressed too highly. As a vegetable protein, it
contains the eight essential amino acids plus vitamin A and B. It is free from cholesterol,
and is regarded as an excellent food for anyone with heart disease of high blood pressure.
In addition, it is very easy to digest, so is an ideal food for infants, invalids and the
elderly.
Beancurd is very versatile and, depending upon the texture, it can be cooked by almost every
conceivable method, and used with a vast array of ingredients, both sweet and savory
preparation
& cooking techniques..
Soft
or silken tofu is mainly steamed or added to soups, since its light and delicate texture
means that it will disintegrate if handled roughly. It makes a refreshing sweet dessert and
is also used to make 'ice cream'
Firm
beancurd is the most common type, and also the most popular for everyday use. Although it
has been lightly pressed, and is more robust than silken tofu, it still needs to be handled
with care. Having been cut to the required size and shape - cubes, strips, slices or
triangles - the pieces are usually blanched in boiling water or briefly shallow-fried in
oil. This hardens the beancurd and prevent it from disintegrating when stir-fried or
braised. Yaki tofu is beancurd that has been lightly grilled on both sides. Because
the beancurd is bland, it is important to cook it with strongly flavored seasonings such as
garlic, chilies, spring onions, oyster sauce, shrimp paste, fermented black beans, salted
yellow beans or sesame oil. Although its primary purpose is as a vegetarian ingredient,
beancurd also taste very good with meat and is often cooked with pork or beef, but seldom
with chicken. It goes well with fish and shellfish too. One of the most popular beancurd
dishes is the world-famous ma po doufu from Sichuan. Here the beancurd is cubed and
blanched, then braised with minced beef, garlic, spring onions, leek, rice wine, chili bean
paste, fermented black beans, sesame oil, salt and Sichuan pepper.
storage..
Buy
beancurd from an oriental store if possible, Fresh beancurd submerged in water in a plastic
box will keep for several days in the refrigerator. Vacuum-packed fresh beancurd bought from
health food stores and supermarkets will keep for slightly longer, but it is unlikely to
taste quite as good. Beancurd is also available in a powder mix. This has a long shelf life,
so is a useful item to have in the kitchen.
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