What's the texture of tofu when it's fresh?!
Also...is it gluten-free?
Thanks!
Answers: I've had soups with tofu and the texture of it is different depending where I buy it. Sometimes the little squares break easy and other times it feels harder, more consistent. Which texture would be the freshest?
Also...is it gluten-free?
Thanks!
There are many types of tofu. I would say the freshest are the white silken tofu, which are kept in liquid and perish easily. Of these, there are firm, medium, and soft. Soft tofu is good in light, brothy soups or delicate dishes. Medium and hard tofu are good for stir-frying. These are all equally fresh, since the firmness is determined by processing method. However, you know when the tofu has gone bad when it has a sour taste. I'm not sure if tofu does or does not contain gluten, since the best brands, provided in international groceries, do not carry such labeling.
Of course tofu is gluten-free. Tofu is made from cooked soybeans. Gluten is the fancy name for wheat protein. Seitan is almost pure gluten.
There might be miniscule traces of gluten in soy sauce-infused tofu because soy sauce is made from a fermented mix of soybeans and wheat.
tofu or bean curd texture has nothing to do with freshness. tofu that is dry and firm (and less fresh looking) is as ready to eat as soft "fresher looking" one. The tofu most westerners are familiar with is Japanese tofu (tofu is Japanese for bean curd) and is usually softer than the regular Chinese "tahu" which is firmer and comes in square blocks. There is fermned tahu which is an acquired taste. There is "ice" or "snow" tahu which Budhhists monks keep outdoors in the snow. There i also a very soft, almost liquid which is eaten as dessert when sugar syrup is added to it or when chili paste/oil is added as breakfast. Etc etc
Tofu properly comes in a variety of textures. There is the solid form which comes in soft, firm and extra firm varieties, and there is also the silken form which has the most moisture is sort of like a custard. It's not a matter of freshness, it's a matter of how you want to use the tofu in your recipe and what texture you want the dish to have.