Firm tofu VS soft (silken) tofu

[theartofeating]

which one prefer to eat? why?

[EWSflash]

I'm nclined to prefer the firm- the firmer the better, in fact. but i'm far from being an expert, or even knowledgeable about it.

[Chemicalkinetics]

EW,

Firmer the better, huh? Do you like dried tofu? Or those are too hard/firm for you?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tb0Dd78jF1Y/TlQ8mXFayTI/AAAAAAAAAEk/jE-qTWs9h_M/s1600/dry+tofu.jpg

http://www.cultural-china.com/chinaWH...

[Chemicalkinetics]

I prefer the silken tofu because of texture.

[will47]

While often referred to as "soft" tofu, in the US, silken tofu still comes in varying degrees of firmness - I think it has more to do with the texture (smooth and custardy vs. a little more porous). And then, of course, you've got the really soft and custardy tofu used for soon tofu, baked or compressed tofus of different types, deep-fried tofu, tofu which has been frozen, and so on. All have their own taste and texture. I really think it depends on what you're using it for. (For folks who don't already know it, freezing and then thawing / wringing out tofu is an old trick which gives it a great chewy / spongey texture, and really soaks up flavors well.... great for hearty stews, battering and frying for "fish" tacos, etc.)

The coagulating agent used makes a big difference in the taste also.

For certain dishes, the texture of silken tofu is essential. But most of the time, I use other types.

Seasoned "dry" tofu (xiang gan / doufu gan in Chinese), or plain compressed tofu is really easy to work with - it breaks up less than regular tofu, and browns more easily. Deep-fried tofu is also really great; while it tastes best if you deep-fry it yourself, you can buy it pre-fried at most Asian markets, which really saves a lot of time / oil / mess. For some applications, the pre-fried stuff is actually better than frying it yourself.

[tastesgoodwhatisit]

I have a fairly strong preference for silken tofu. I find it stands much better on its own, while the firmer tofus tend to be dominated by the flavours they're cooked it.

The really firm tofu is probably my least favourite type of tofu, after silken tofu, tofu skins, and the stuff that's frozen and thawed to give it a porous texture (great in hot-pot).

[SeoulQueen]

Aww, that's not fair, that's like asking which child is your favorite? :)

I LOVE tubu (korean for tofu) so can't say if I prefer firm over soft.. if it's there I'll eat it! But the firm tubu is more versatile when it comes to cooking so I find myself buying that more than the silken tubu which I only really use for jigaes.

[Cheeryvisage]

I find that silken tofu is more forgiving even if you don't use the best quality tofu, or at least, my taste buds are much more tolerant of silken tofu even if it's not the best quality. However, I find most firm tofu to be atrocious because honestly, they just aren't good quality. I still haven't found a good source for getting high quality, fresh firm tofu yet.

So, I prefer silken tofu, because even mediocre packaged silken tofu tastes decent to my taste buds.

[lulumoolah]

Depends on what you're using the tofu for. Depending on the purpose, in Korean cuisine, you use certain types of tofu of varying hardness or softness. Some of it is also a matter of taste. I tend to use the hard tofu for "gigae", though I know some people prefer to use softer tofu. For mandoo, you use the harder tofu.

[small h]

Generally, I like soft tofu in casseroles and firm tofu in stir fries. Why does it have to be either/or?

[scoopG]

Right. It all depends on what you are planning to do with it.