On 11/30/2013 3:38 PM, tert in seattle wrote:
> we went out for lunch and my son was asking which is better, 1000 year old
> tofu or 100 year old tofu
>
> not sure where he got that question
>
> anyhow he ordered tofu, and gobbled the stuff up ... it was fried, garlicky
> and with a little heat, and something else going on in there but I'm not sure
> what
>
> I neglected to ask the cook what his secret is
>
> anyone have some amazing tofu recipes? I enjoyed it too (had only one
> bite and was really hungry)
>
> I'm clueless when buying tofu - what should I be looking for?
>
> thx
>

Tofu comes in three main varieties. Soft, medium, and firm. The firm
would be used for stir frying or as a substitute for meat. It has a
porous surface appearance.

I like the soft tofu which has a smooth custard-like appearance and
texture. A dish of soft tofu, cut into cubes with shoyu and shaved
bonito flakes is a truly sublime dish - to me at least.

Medium tofu can also be cubed and eaten with shoyu and bonito too.
Medium is probably the most versatile kind of tofu. You can also stir
fry medium tofu and it's deep fried to make the brown pouches for inari
sushi.

My favorite tofu dish would be mapo tofu. If you ever get a chance to
order it, please try it. You could also make it at home. This recipe is
pretty simple except do not use firm tofu to make it. That part is dead
wrong and indeed, that tofu in the photograph is the soft stuff.

http://www.recipebridge.com/recipe/4...2455/mapo-tofu