Silken, soft and firm
Tofu comes in a wide variety of textures ranging from Extra Soft (Silken) to Extra Firm.
What it boils down to is the water content in the Tofu. As more water is pressed out, Tofu becomes more and more firm, and as the tofu becomes firmer, the fat and protein content goes up.
There are many great brands that make a variety of Tofus. The first thing to look for are organic and non-gmo brands and second are Japanese.
Here are a few brands that we swear by:
1. Nosoya Organic Non-Gmo Tofu
2. Mori Nu Silken Tofu varieties
3. House Foods Premium Tofu
4. Sunrise Soya Tofu
The full breakdown:
1. SILKEN
Unlike other varieties, there is no draining or pressing involved in the process of making Silken Tofu. It has the highest water content of all the tofus varieties and has a pudding-like, custardy texture that becomes creamy when blended. Silken Tofu is perfect in smoothies and desserts, as well as dressings, pastas and sauces, and can even serve as an egg replacement in baking. Silken Tofu is non porous and extremely soft, so it is not ideal to use in traditional asian dishes like stir fries.
RECIPES: Chestnut Ravioli, Vegan Sour Cream, Butternut Squash Pecan Ravioli + Green Detox Smoothie
2. MEDIUM
Medium Tofu is not as soft as Silken Tofu, but it’s still pretty soft compared to Extra Firm varieties. It has a rougher texture than Silken Tofu, but is still pretty delicate when cooking with it. Because of the texture, Medium Tofu is perfect for cold preparations and simmered soups like miso that don’t require a lot of manipulation. Great for Asian inspired recipes!
3. EXTRA FIRM
Extra Firm Tofu is, you guessed it, the firmest of all the Tofu varieties. Virtually all of the water content has been pressed out and the texture is more block like with visible curds. This is the best variety of Tofu for using in hot dishes, like stir fry, as it absorbs a ton of flavor. Extra Firm Tofu is also ideal for crumbling and using as “taco” meat or for added texture and flavor in a brekkie scramble. Because of its texture, Extra Firm Tofu can stand up to most cooking techniques, including deep frying and grilling… get crazy!
RECIPES: Tofu Scramble + Vegan Hot Pockets
