<p>I just cooked a huge dish in the wok by frying sliced tofu until the edges were golden brown; some stuck to the bottom of the pan, which I vigourously scraped, contributing a rich flavor to the ground beef, ginger, garlic and yu choy (plus some belacan / shrimp paste) that I added later. It’s so good. Tofu complements meat. It’s also a good vegetarian ingredient, but it should never substitute for meat .</p>
<p>I’m so annoyed at whitewashed “chic” Asian restaurants that offer tofu, chicken or beef (like the Lemongrass restaurant in Charlottesville). No, you’re doing it wrong. This is why people are turned off to tofu, because people are misusing it. </p>
<p>Then there are there are there are the horrible health-food cold tofu salads. There’s a proper way to eat cold tofu, even if you’re a minimalist-- if it’s not fried, it should be served soft (not firm) with a sauce containing a very modest amount of salt and a minimal amount of sugar (to complement the tofu’s own subtle sweetness), preferably at least containing something along the order of ginger-- add garlic or basil for a richer taste. Very soft tofu can be transformed into dessert, e.g. sweet beancurd with gingko nut. But then there are those who will absolutely do it wrong by substituting unspiced tofu for meat in a cold cut sandwich.</p>
<p>(I’m not even going to talk about the organic food nuts who drive up the price of a block of tofu to $2.99 a block at American supermarkets.)</p>
<p>Recalled having the same reaction when I tried some vegetarian/vegan meals with White HS classmates and finding that the tasteless meat substitute in some sandwiches WAS tofu. Tofu that was misapplied and thus, was a far cry from the tofu dishes I’m used to growing up in a Chinese-American household and as someone who frequented NYC Chinatown restaurants with a mostly Chinese/Chinese-American clientele. </p>
<p>It’s one reason why I am leery of tofu if it is served by Western vegetarians/vegans unless they actually know how to cook it in the Chinese/Asian style. Tofu made right is very delectable. Tofu made wrong can make for one of the most horrid culinary experiences in one’s life.</p>
<p>Trader Joes is one of the best places to buy soy-products as their products are relatively inexpensive. At most mainstream supermarkets, soy-products are considered a luxury item and they charge accordingly.</p>
<p>One of my favorite soy products is Tofurkey Italian Sausages. My son likes these too and he also likes their Beer Brats. They cost $2.99 for four or about $3.49 per pound. They are tasty, easy to cook, and he eats them hot or cold - I prefer them hot. I usually cook them in the toaster oven. My usual breakfast is two eggs + tofurkey + some vegetables.</p>
<p>My wife will cook all sorts of different kinds of tofu dishes - she can mix and match the meats in a tofu dish. She mainly uses extra firm but some dishes call for the softer stuff.</p>
<p>I don’t think that I’ve gone to western places that serve tofu outside of the quick food displays at Whole Foods.</p>
<p>My mother is Japanese, and let me tell you that country squeezes more out of soy bean than I could ever imagine. We do use tofu alot and for us it is a significant meet subsitute and enjoyable in it s own right. But we buy the slabs of the fresh made stuff at the Japanese store, not the stuff in the packages. It’s a lot cheaper that way.</p>
<p>Went to the Iron Chef’s restaraunt in NYC last year, and one of the treats is tofu made on the spot at your table. Delicious. </p>
<p>I don’t like it when used with western recipes as a substitute, however.</p>
<p>We eat tofu as much as we eat red meat. I use it in stir fries, and I have it in dishes when I go out.
We have some very good brands here, I even have bought it in aseptic packaging for camping, when I make tofu scramble.
I like softer tofu, but you can also freeze it to change the texture.</p>
<p>Possibly. A lot of non-Asian friends who initially hated tofu found they liked it in the context of Chinese/Asian cuisine prepared by cooks who had experience preparing it. </p>
<p>What originally turned them off to tofu were similar experiences I had with tofu when used as a direct meat substitute among many Western vegetarians/vegans…especially in the early '90s and before. </p>
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<p>IME, Trader Joes tofu tend to be more expensive and not as varied as what I can find in many Chinese/Asian grocery stores/supermarkets…especially in areas with heavy concentrations of Asian-American immigrants.</p>
<p>We’re an hour outside of Boston and an hour of driving isn’t worth saving a buck on Tofu. Trader Joes is a rapidly growing chain around the US making cheaper soy products available for those that don’t live next to an Asian grocer.</p>
<p>Is stinky tofu “made right” or “made wrong”? People seem to have varied opinions on that…</p>
<p>But I am not sure what the big deal of this thread is. I have had plenty of tasty tofu dishes, both with and without meat. Note that in Chinese cuisine, there are preparations of tofu and/or wheat gluten traditionally made and eaten by Buddhist vegetarians (and those taste good also).</p>
<p>Meat does not require any sabstitute. If you like meat, you eat it, like fish, have it, chicken is OK, tofu (in moderation) is fine if you enjoy it and you can eat nuts too or eggs, or skip any protein all together, it is overrated anyway, we consume way too much, there is no concern that one would not have anough. As long as we are not overdoing any of it, as even health fans know that too much soy is not good for you anyway.</p>
<p>Oh I completely disagree with the thread title! We buy the Trader Joe savory and teriyaki flavored tofu, and it is the PERFECT substitute for meat. Daughter won’t eat beef, so on beef nights I just pull out a pack of the TJ tofu, slice or cube it, sear it in small amount of oil, and it’s perfect. Even confirmed carnivore husband will eat it without much complaint. </p>
<p>What I find strange are the Morningstar products that are made to simulate meat products. If someone is vegetarian, why would they want to eat fake sausages, hamburger patties etc.? When we have a vegetarian night, we embrace vegetables/beans/grains in their natural state. Perhaps the mock-meat helps self-conscious vegetarians at BBQ’s and gatherings where they don’t want to draw attention to their dietary habits. There must be demand, because the range of imitation meat products has exploded in the past 10 years.</p>
<p>Stinky tofu isn’t exactly my cup of tea, but it is flavorful at least so I’d say it’s made right. </p>
<p>Thing with tofu is that it’s extremely bland to the point of near flavorlessness by itself so putting it directly into a sandwich with veggies or using it as a direct meat substitute without much/any seasoning as commonly done in vegetarian/vegan Western dishes is IME…a major reason why tofu gets a bad rap among many Westerners who only had tofu in that poorly conceived culinary context. </p>
<p>Tofu is a great base to absorb seasonings/flavors from other sauces, meats, etc. Similar to many vegetables/legumes. </p>
<p>The only ways I can think tofu can be eaten by itself or in a sandwich with nothing more than vegetables and some light/no sauce is if someone has an extremely bland and unadventurous palate or someone who feels that anything tasty/flavorful is bad for you. Unfortunately, some of the extreme health nuts among the vegetarians/vegans I’ve encountered exhibited both tendencies.</p>
<p>Huh??? Every person I know involved in the health-related fields says the majority of Americans do NOT get enough protein. If you are working out, rigorously, on a somewhat regular basis, your body needs protein. It is NOT overrated.</p>
<p>^If you are talking about me in “working regularly”, I am. I do not feel like eating meat more than couple times / month, and I do not. If others like meat, then eat it at each meal. Nobody should care one way or another. We are different. My preference is fruit. I would not have tofu as I am not a fan. Others apparently like it. We are consuming way too much protein though.</p>
<p>Uh…protein is totally necessary for silly things like growing, repairing and maintaining the cells of the body. It is also necessary for the production of antibodies, which fight against infection and illness. Protein in the body is lost daily and therefore must be replenished daily through the diet. </p>
<p>Do you need meat to do that? No. But IMHO it is the far easier (simpler) way to consume the protein necessary to maintain bodily health. Eating “complete” proteins (eggs, meat, fish, etc) or a combination of “incomplete” proteins (rice/beans, or other combinations of greens/grains) both get the job done. An educated, conscientious vegan can do quite nicely without meat, etc, but the bottom line is vegan and carnivore both need protein on a regular basis.</p>