Get to know the pleasures of tofu

Max Jacobson

Wednesday, March 1, 2000 | 10:19 a.m.

Several years ago Americans were polled about their most hated and feared foods. Liver finished high in the standings. So did Brussels sprouts. But the winner was tofu.

This is hard for a food writer like me to understand. Tofu, essentially coagulated milk from the soybean, has little flavor when it stands on its own, and a pleasant, smooth texture. Instead, it tends to absorb the flavors of whatever it is cooked with. It is also quite versatile in the kitchen, used in salad dressings, as a meat substitute, in soups, in salads, and eaten steamed, fried, broiled or baked.

America leads the world in soybean production. We produce more than two thirds of the world's crop, but most of it goes uneaten by humans. The majority of our soybeans are used as cattle feed. That will surely change if tofu ever gains in popularity.

Tofu has been made in the same way for thousands of years. First, raw soybeans are soaked in water and then drained. The beans are then pulverized into a mash, and the mash is ladled into boiling water.

The resulting product is filtered into milk and pulp. The milk is ladled into cheesecloth-lined wooden containers, and the last step is to coagulate it by means of a catalyst, which is generally calcium or magnesium salt. (The Chinese have been using gypsum for more than 2,000 years.)

Finally, the milk turns into tofu. The leftover pulp (which the Japanese call okara, and eat) is used as cattle feed.

The yield is, nutritionally, a true gift from Mother Nature. Tofu contains all eight essential amino acids, so as a protein, it is the most nutritionally complete one in nature. The soybean is also a principal source of lecithin, a substance known to reduce cholesterol, and tofu is loaded with it.

Tofu is reasonably low in fat, acceptable both to vegans and other vegetarians. Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, says that eating tofu "promotes a regimen for reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, weight problems and many food-borne illnesses." The Japanese, who lead the world in life expectancy, are known to eat tofu in quantity.

According to Suzanne Felts of Rainbow's End Natural Foods, tofu is available in three forms: soft, firm and extra firm. (Her store also stocks spicy baked Mexican tofu.)

Soft tofu is also known as silken tofu. Its texture is not good for stir-frying, as it does not absorb flavors as easily as the firmer varieties.

If you'd like to eat tofu in delicious forms before trying to cook it yourself, Las Vegas has many places to do so. At Korea House in Commercial Center, one of the specialties is called soon dubu -- spicy soft tofu steeped in an iron skillet with a choice of seafood, typically oysters or fish. For those who do not wish to disdain meat, soon dubu is also quite good combined with beef.

You can also eat tofu in a variety of ways at Rainbow's End Natural Foods on East Sahara Avenue. Felts puts tofu in almost everything she serves: in her vegetarian lasagna, in her creamy tofu curry, in a vegetable stir-fry with basmati rice, and even in a special vegan cheesecake, made with a cashew and walnut crust.

"I put the cheesecake on dry ice and ship it to special customers in L.A.," she says with a trace of pride in her voice.

I also like the tiny cubes of tofu you find floating in your bowl of miso soup at any Japanese restaurant you can name. I'm also a fan of the dish the Japanese call hiyayakko -- one large, firm, quivering cube of tofu drenched with a soy-based dipping sauce and garnished with green onion. You can eat hiyayakko at Tokyo Restaurant, also in Commercial Center.

Perhaps my favorite way to eat tofu is in Chinese restaurants. Master Chef Chi Kwon Choi of Fortune Chinese Restaurant in the Rio hotel-casino has such high esteem for tofu that he has devoted an entire section of his menu to it.

Fortune is one of the most elegant Chinese restaurants in the city, an understated, second-floor room accessed by a private elevator. Chi loves to create for his guests based on whatever is particularly fresh on a given day, but he does wonders with tofu as well.

I love his ma po tofu, a spicy, family-style stir fry of tofu, minced pork and Chinese black mushrooms.

Chi was kind enough to provide a simple recipe for deep-fried tofu:

Deep-fried Tofu

1 Box firm tofu (12.3 oz)

6 oz Cooking Oil

Dipping sauce:

3 oz soy sauce

3 oz water

1/2 tsp chicken base (may be eliminated by vegetarians)

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp oyster sauce (available at any Oriental market or supermarket)

1/4 tsp sesame oil (not processed)

1/4 tsp hot chili paste

Remove tofu, pour off water and pat dry. Cut tofu into 10-12 equal sized cubes, and deep fry at approximately 360 degrees until golden brown and crusty on the outside surface. Note that most of the oil will not be absorbed by the tofu. Place on a paper towel-lined plate for draining.

Combine dipping sauce ingredients. Heating is not necessary.

Tips:

Remember that whatever tofu you buy, whether soft, firm or extra firm, you will need to pour off the water it is packed in, rinse and then pat it dry.

Refrigerate all tofu. Once the package is opened, use as quickly as possible. To prolong the life of the tofu for a few more days, replace the water with fresh water.

If you want to learn more about tofu, look for the "Book of Tofu" by Shurtleff and Aoyagi (Ballantine Books).

More tofu recipes are available on the Internet, at the vegweb.com.

We'll make converts out of you tofu haters yet.