![extra firm tofu extra firm tofu](https://fashionfitnessfoodie.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/extra-firm-tofu.jpg)
This makes it easier to prepare as you can start as soon as you open the packet! Seasoned tofu is available in different flavours tamari and tomato/basil are widely available. Seasoned tofu is mostly firm and can be pan-fried, stir-fried, deep-fried, grilled, roasted in the oven, barbecued or eaten raw. Super-firm tofu is not widely available but is easy to make. In fact it is a great meat substitute! Cut the tofu into regular-sized slices, sticks or cubes, mix with a hot marinade and pan-fry, stir-fry or deep-fry. If you look at super-firm tofu you can easily mistake it for meat because it is so dense. On the other hand, extra-firm is easier to pan-fry, stir-fry or deep-fry. The culinary possibilities of firm and extra-firm are almost the same, but extra-firm tofu doesn’t absorb marinades as well. Firm tofu can also be bought smoked or seasoned.Įxtra-firm tofu has less water than firm tofu, which you notice in the difference in texture. Be sure to fully dry firm tofu before cooking, to ensure it can absorb the marinade and will splatter less in the pan. It can be pan-fried, stir-fried, deep-fried, put in a stew, used as a filling or to make spreads. In the kitchen, firm tofu is the most versatile of the tofu types. Firm tofu is like feta: it doesn’t crumble when you pick it up and it is easy to chop.
![extra firm tofu extra firm tofu](https://klcode-images.imgix.net/Pjcak12qTguQJolKat1r_NSY-Tofu-WP-Extra-Firm_Render-copy.jpg)
Firm tofu is quite compact and is often packaged soaked in liquid – the amount depends on the type of packaging. Of all the types of tofu, firm tofu is the most widely available in supermarkets. Don’t pan-fry or deep-fry regular tofu as it is likely to crumble. You can also make delicious spreads using regular tofu, or ‘scrambled’ tofu, a vegetarian take on scrambled eggs. Regular tofu easily soaks up the flavours of sauces and broths and so is often used in noodle soups and stews. It is a little more compact than silken but still soft. This type of tofu is used primarily in Asian dishes. You usually prepare dishes with silken tofu when it is wet. Silken tofu looks like a very young cheese such as burrata (a kind of mozzarella) and can be used as a thick cream, fresh cream cheese or ricotta in cheesecakes, smoothies, dips or even ravioli fillings. If you try to hold it, it will fall to pieces. Silken tofu, also known as Japanese-style tofu, is silky, creamy and has the highest water content. You should be able to guess the textures in between. Firm tofu, the most common, has the same consistency as feta, while the texture of super-firm can be compared to that of meat. Silken, the softest type of tofu, can be compared to a young white cheese. Tofu is categorized as silken, regular, firm, extra-firm and super-firm. The more water, the softer or ‘silkier’ the tofu with less water, the tofu is firmer. The texture is determined by the water content in the tofu. Tofu is categorized by texture, or consistency.