Tofu culture in China
Process of Tofu-making
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Tofu is very simple in production. Put soybeans in water until they are soaked. Then grind. Filter it, and the liquid is bean milk. The remains are bean dregs, which can be used to feed domestic animals. If you put a little gypsum or lushui (magnesium chloride) in the bean milk, it solidifies and becomes tofu. After that, people usually wrap the fresh tofu with cloth and wring out some water for better flavor. If you wring a lot of water out, it becomes dried tofu, which has a different taste but is equally delicious.
Tofu Products
There are a lot of soybean products in China: tofu, fried tofu, dried tofu, soybean milk films, dried tofu cream sheets and soybean residues. All these products are ideal ingredients for gourmet dishes with distinctive flavors.
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Soft/silken Tofu
With white color and a very tender texture, it contains the highest moisture content of all fresh tofu. This is the typical tofu in southern parts of China. It is usually used to make soup.
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Firm Tofu
Typical tofu in north China has a yellowish color and bounces back when readily pressed. Because of its firm texture, it is suitable for stir-fry and can be picked up easily with chopsticks.
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Dried Tofu
This extra firm tofu contains the least amount of moisture of all fresh tofu. It is usually pressed very flat and sliced into long strings, which looks like loose cooked noodles. It can be served cold or stir-fried.
