Tofu is made by adding a coagulant called nigari (bittem) to soy milk made from soybeans to solidify. Mainly, there are 2 types of tofu called “firm tofu” and “silken tofu”, but there are other types of tofu such as “pressed silken tofu” and “packed tofu”. The production methods of firm tofu and silken tofu are different.

 

Firm tofu: To make firm tofu, firstly make tofu by adding nigari to soy milk and break it. Then add pressure to reduce moisture and solidify again.For nutrition, this has more calcium than silken tofu.

Silken tofu: To make silken tofu, add nigari to thick soy milk and solidify in a mold.

Pressed silken tofu: To make pressed silken tofu, solidify soy milk as silken tofu and pour this into a firm tofu mold and lightly press.The firmness is somewhere between firm tofu and silken tofu.

Packed tofu: To make packed tofu, add coagulant to thick soy milk and pour into a plastic mold. Then heat at around 90℃ for 40 ~ 50 minutes and cool after it is solidified. Because this tofu can be stored for a long term, most tofu in Australia is made in this method.

* Some super soft tofus made in Korea are available in Australia, but only at a limited number of stores.

 

“Mizukiri” is a method of reducing moisture from tofu
There are several ways to reduce moisture from tofu:

• Use chopping boards: Place a tofu wrapped with a thin cotton tea towel on a slightly angled chopping board and place a plate or another chopping board on top as a weight. Leave for 20 minutes.

• Boil: Particularly in summer, boiling method is recommended because tofu can go off easily. Boil tofu for 4 ~ 5 minutes and remove the excess water.

• Microwave: Place tofu wrapped in kitchen paper or thin cotton tea towel on a plate that can be used in a microwave. Adjust the time according to the weight. For example, heat tofu (300 ~ 400g) for about 4 minutes at 700W.