As much as we see and hear about its properties as "natural refrigerant, anticancer agent, and cholesterol combatant," many Westerners are at a bit of loss when it comes to including more of it in our diets. Sure, we may add soy milk to our chai lattes or pop some edamame at a Japanese restaurant. We may experiment with grilled tofu, but in the end, there is often the complaint that tofu is just so bland. Ah, but that is the beauty of tofu - because it's so bland, it's the perfect canvas for other flavors, much like a slice of bread or filet of very mild fish. At the same time, many people simply enjoy the faint tofu flavor. Tofu is versatile, and according to an article over at the Japan Times, there's a lot more that can be done with soy, particularly because it comes in so many forms, only one of which if tofu:
- Tofu somen are delicate, thin strands of tofu that could easily be mistaken for regular wheat noodles
- Abura-age and atsu-age are deep-fried tofu, which can be added to miso soup
- Momen dofu is firm, which is good for stir-fries or prepared as tofu steak
- Zarudofu and yosedofu are very soft versions. Both are somewhat sweet so simply serve with top-quality olive oil and sea salt, or a garnish of grated ginger, mustard, or soy sauce.
- Yukiko Hayashi, author of the cookbook Tofu Zanmai, also recommends cooking/baking with soy milk.
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