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Tofu is always being touted as a "flavour sponge" due to its texture. Yet, I have never been able to get it to actually absorb any flavour.

People talk about marinating it, searing it, invoking sacred incantations, yet nothing works (for me).

Is there a genuinely tried and tested method that works?

For what it's worth, I generally tend to use extra firm tofu, however I get pretty lazy with the drying process: I just quickly squeeze the little guy between some towels using my hands until it has lost a significant amount of water.

FuzzyChef
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turnip
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2 Answers2

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Speaking from personal experience:

The only kind of tofu which is genuinely a "flavor sponge" is deep-fried tofu, which is sponge-like in several ways. Frozen and thawed tofu has a similar sponge texture.

Tofu is 85-90% water. Drying it doesn't change that more than 2%, and is essentially a waste of time (if the purpose is to marinate it). For this reason, tofu will not absorb other liquids, either as a cold marinade or even cooking in a liquid, unless braised for a long time (which is a thing in some traditional dishes). If anything, tofu is less absorptive of liquid flavors than meat.

The reason that tofu is portrayed as a "flavor sponge" in Western recipes is that, in general, the tofu available in Western markets is extremely bland and fairly low quality, so that any added flavor will overshadow it. A Japanese, Chinese, or other East Asian person could tell you that tofu is supposed to have its own flavor.

FuzzyChef
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Option 1: Press the tofu

The idea here is basically to squeeze out as much of the water that it's packaged with as you can before cooking. You place the tofu between two towels, and put something heavy on top of it for a few minutes. https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-press-tofu-3376642

Option 2: Freeze and thaw it

The water in tofu expands when it’s frozen, thereby destroying the original structure. When the ice crystals thaws, they seep out in the form of water, leaving the holes they formed behind. A star different tofu product with an entirely distinct consistency is born. https://www.bonappetit.com/story/freeze-your-tofu

Cody
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