Updated as of July 26, 2023 by Camille Georgia Uy.
Tofu or tokwa can be made of different textures. It actually comes in four different textures:
- taho
- silken tofu
- firm tofu
- extra-firm tofu
Here Are The Differences Between These Tofu:
1 Taho
Sometimes people forget that taho is basically tofu that is super soft. It’s the freshest tofu you can get your hands on since the water hasn’t been pressed out of it yet completely.
2 Silken Tofu
Silken tofu is also another term for taho. However, it is sometimes a little firmer than taho that it will hold its shape better than taho and can be sliced into squares. It’s also known as soft tofu because of the super soft and easily crumbly texture. Both kinds have many uses in different dishes that don’t need the tofu to absorb any flavors from the sauce, soup, or other ingredients in the dish.
3 Firm Tofu
Firm tofu is even firmer than silken tofu. The moisture or water from the tofu has been pressed more fully so that the texture is more solid. This is great for tofu recipes that require the tofu to absorb liquid ingredients from the sauce and soup.
4 Extra-firm Tofu
Extra-firm tofu is basically the tokwa we are all more familiar with. This is the tofu that makes the best kind of tokwa’t baboy since, when fried, these will absorb double their weight of whatever flavorful liquid you add to the bowl with it.
Not only are there many kinds of tofu; you can also cook them in many different ways!
Here Are The Different Ways To Cook Tofu + Delicious Tokwa Recipes You Can Try:
1 Fried Tofu Recipes
The easiest way to cook tofu is to fry it. Tofu becomes crispy on the outside and the inside becomes pockmarked with holes, essentially turning it into a sponge. This is how easy it is to fry tofu:
- Heat enough oil in a frying pan over medium heat to go up halfway up the sides.
- Once hot, add sliced tofu squares into the hot oil.
- Flip once the side in the oil is golden brown.
- Fry the other side until all the sides are golden brown.
- Remove from the oil and drain.
Fried tofu is perfect in a simple recipe like this salt and pepper tofu. It’s also great in stir-fries like this tokwa’t tausi recipe or tossed in a flavorful sauce to make this tokwa’t baboy recipe.
2 Steamed Tofu Recipes
Steaming tofu is really about heating up the tofu. It’s not about cooking the tofu. It’s about cooking the other ingredients that are added to the dish. For these recipes, it really depends on the recipe with regards to what kind of tofu to use.
Try this Chinese stuffed tofu recipe and this steamed tofu with shrimp recipe!
3 Stewed Tofu Recipes
When it comes to stewing tofu, it’s common to find the tofu already fried. Frying the tofu will help it not all apart during the long cooking process. Once fried, add it to the pot with the other ingredients to stew and get soft. This adobong tokwa’t baboy recipe is a flavorful dish, but you can also make this garlicky tofu salpicao or this spicy mapo tofu recipe.
Recommended Videos
4 Marinated Tofu Recipes
Tofu is a sponge as you already know so it’s not surprising that you can marinate these even before it’s been cooked! Since tofu is a rather neutral flavor, you can use strong flavors to make it extra tasty. Soy sauce is a common ingredient to use but there are other flavors that can deliver delicious sweetness, savoriness, or even spiciness, too. All you really need is time to let the tofu soak up those flavors.
Here’s a delicious marinated tofu and vegetable stir-fry recipe you can try! You can also keep it simple with this easy marinated tofu recipe, or light with this marinated tofu with alfalfa sprouts recipe.
5 Stir-Fried Tofu Recipes
Just like stewing, stir-fried tofu commonly uses fried tofu. These squares are just tossed into the dish with the other ingredients. The sauce poured into the stir fry doesn’t get absorbed into the tofu. Instead, tofu is usually coated in the sauce making it tasty but without the overwhelming flavor that washes out the tokwa’s natural soybean taste.
Try this easy ginisang gulay at tokwa recipe, this umami-filled stir-fried tofu with oyster sauce recipe, or this refreshing stir-fried summer vegetables and tofu recipe.
6 Air Fried Tofu Recipe
Yes! Did you know you can air fry tofu? We didn’t until we tried and it’s a super-easy way of frying tofu without using a lot of oil. We have a step-by-step method to teach you how to air fryer tokwa that makes this fast and easy to create into a delicious meal. Once you’ve mastered it, try making this deliciously mouthwatering chili garlic tokwa, or add a twist to dinakdakan with this easy tofu dinakdakan recipe.
