Flavor
Tofu has a very light and somewhat bland flavor. Tofu picks up whatever spices and flavors are in a dish, so I like to use it in recipes that have bold flavors.
Nutrition
Tofu is low in calories and fat, and high in protein and iron.
Texture
Fresh tofu comes in several different textures, from soft/silken to extra firm, all of which are packaged in water. It's texture resembles soft to firm custard. Fresh tofu can also be “dry.” Dry tofu has not been dried out, but rather it has been pressed in order to get rid of a large amount of liquid.
Varieties
For fresh tofu, I prefer using extra firm because it holds up better in cooking, whereas softer tofu can fall apart and get mushy.
An example of dry fresh tofu is spiced tofu. Spiced tofu has 5-spice seasoning in it and is much firmer than regular extra firm tofu.
There are also some processed varieties, such as pickled tofu and stinky tofu.
Cooking Preparation
Fresh tofu – cut tofu into pieces (shape and size depends on recipe), and place in a mesh colander over a bowl. This will allow extra liquid to drain from the tofu pieces.
Dry tofu does not need to be drained. Simply cut it up as the recipe indicates.
Recipes
Here are a few recipes that I have used tofu in:
Schezuan Bean Curd (Mapo Tofu)
Zha Jiang Mein (Pork Sauce Noodles)
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