Thursday, December 1, 2011

D is for Dòufu 豆腐

Before I came to China, I never liked dòufu (豆腐) or tofu as most Americans call it; and I certainly didn't know it came in all shapes and sizes. The dòu in dòufu means "bean" as in the soybeans it's made from. The fu actually means "rotten" if you separate it out. I'm not sure where you want to go with that. (Okay, curdled or fermented does sound better.) Anyway, I love it now; in all shapes and sizes. It has the great quality of taking on the flavors within the sauce (spicy or sweet) or other foods it's mixed with, and is often used in soups.





My favorite way to eat it is stir fried with chives.

The only kind I've found so far that I have no desire to eat is chòu dòufu(臭豆腐)or"stinky doufu."


Also in China, people have been drinking warm soy milk, dòujiāng (豆浆), long before it became a health craze in the West. I can remember visiting the countryside over ten years ago and being offered a hot frothy mug; and China's history stretches way beyond the limited spans of our US few hundreds of years. Ancient, we would call it.  I feel grateful to be able to experience such a rich culture and expanse of history, especially when it comes to food.

Soybeans or soy milk are also really good for you... so eat or drink up!


I am linking to Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday. There are so many great posts to read here.



10 comments:

  1. MM I will accept your opinion and maybe if I get to China will change my mind bu not for me now soya milk is a yum for me

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  2. I love it, but my stomach, not so much. Hard to digest... :(

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  3. We've been drinking soy milk for about 20 years now, and I like stir fried tofu as well :-) Food is such an intrinsic part of any culture.

    Beth

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  4. I remember eating "tofu-burgers" when I was much younger, instead of meat. I've never enjoyed it plain, but I'm sure it would be a healthy addition to my diet! {:-D

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  5. D for doufu is good. Besides chou doufu, I eat a lot of it; all the above. Honey is Chinese-Canadian and does 98% of the cooking at home. Being Cantonese, no other cuisine tastes quite as good to him, and who am I - allergic to kitchens - to argue. I've been in Asia since '85, shortly before I met him... in Toronto. Have lived in HK and China, now in Manila, with frequent trips back to both.

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  6. People seem to have all sorts fo experiences with tofu. :) I thought it was so odd before coming here. I don't really like it plain either, but with other things it's good... especially doufu gan. And I'm with Beth and Francisca.... it's a fun part of culture and I'm always happy to eat a delicious Chinese meal that someone else fixes.

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  7. Steph, I love to come by and read what you share with us here! I think I would pass on the chou doufu, too! :o)

    Blessings & Aloha!
    Thank you so very much for your sweet visit and comment :o)

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  8. Oh, I love tofu! The few times I've cooked with it myself have been disasters, so instead, I just order it whenever we go to a restaurant that offers it. Any cooking tips?? =>

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  9. Sadly, I am not a doufu (or tofu) fan. By any name I just don't like it. It falls squarely in the texture of foods that I can't get down my throat - oatmeal and pumpkin pie also fit in there. I had a hard time when we visited Bali last year because it was everywhere. Nice photos, and thanks for explaining the name.

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  10. What a fascinating post!

    I suspect that there are so many more flavors and textures in doufu then I have ever encountered.

    It would be fun trying them all! But I think I'd resist the stinky variety, too!

    Thanks for a delightful link to the letter D.

    A+

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Thank you for your comments. They help me feel that I am some how connected out here in Blogland and not just writing to the air.

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