Silken Tofu: Difference from Firm Tofu and Uses
Silken tofu is a very soft tofu that producers don't press: the soy milk sets in the package into a smooth, pudding-like block. Unlike firm tofu it holds a lot of water, falls apart easily and suits soups, cold dishes, mapo tofu and desserts, not hard pan-searing.
Fact sheet
- Also known as
- Silken Tofu, kinugoshi dōfu (絹ごし豆腐), nèn dòufu (嫩豆腐), weicher Tofu
- Origin
- China, Japan
- Taste
- mild, leicht nach Soja, cremig-glatte Textur
- Substitute
- weicher Tofu (soft), für Desserts und Cremes Skyr oder Quark, für Suppen sehr weicher Sundubu
- Storage
- Tetrapack ungeöffnet ungekühlt; frisch und angebrochen im Kühlschrank unter Wasser, 2 bis 3 Tage; nicht einfrieren
- Where to buy
- Kühlregal im Supermarkt und Biomarkt, Asialaden, Tetrapack im Asia-Regal, online
How silken tofu is made
All kinds of tofu begin the same way. Soaked soybeans are ground and cooked, then the producer filters off the soy milk. For firm tofu, the producer stirs in a coagulant, breaks up the resulting mass, fills the curds into cloth-lined molds and presses out the whey.
For silken tofu the producer uses a thicker soy milk, mixes it with the coagulant and fills it straight into the package or a mold. There it sets as a whole, with no curds and no pressing. The liquid stays in the block. The coagulants used are glucono-delta-lactone, calcium sulfate or nigari, that is, magnesium chloride.
The Japanese name kinugoshi dōfu (絹ごし豆腐) means “tofu strained through silk”. Silk plays no part in making it; the name describes the smooth surface. In Chinese it is called nèn dòufu (嫩豆腐), tender tofu. Korean sundubu is even softer and often comes in a tube-shaped pouch.
Silken tofu and firm tofu compared
| Feature | Silken tofu | Firm tofu |
|---|---|---|
| Making | sets in the package, not pressed | curds pressed, whey drained |
| Texture | smooth, creamy, like pudding | sliceable, slightly grainy |
| Water content | high | lower |
| Pressing | no, only drain | yes, for crispy results |
| Typical use | soups, cold dishes, desserts, creams | pan-frying, deep-frying, wok, grilling |
At an Asian grocery store you find further grades in between, such as “soft” or “medium”. If you want to fry tofu crispy, reach for firm tofu, as in the recipe Crispy fried tofu.
Uses in the kitchen
- Cold: For Hiyayakko you eat a chilled block with soy sauce, ginger and scallion. One variation is Silken tofu with scallions and bonito flakes. You can read more about the flakes under Bonito flakes.
- In soups: In Miso soup small cubes go in at the very end. For Yudofu, larger pieces steep in hot kombu broth. For Sundubu jjigae, silken tofu is the usual substitute if you can't get sundubu.
- Mapo tofu: For Mapo tofu many cooks use silken or soft tofu. Put the cubes into lightly salted, simmering water for two minutes first. Afterward they hold together better in the sauce.
- Desserts: Cooks set Dòu huā fresh from soy milk. With silken tofu and warm ginger syrup you come close to the result at home.
- Vegan: Puréed, silken tofu gives a base for mousse, creams, dressings and quiche fillings without egg.
Handling silken tofu
- Cut the film of the package open all around and pour off the water.
- Put a plate on the package and flip both over. If the block doesn't come loose, cut into a corner of the package to let air in.
- Drain the tofu on paper towels for 5 to 10 minutes. Don't put a weight on it, or it breaks.
- Cut into cubes with a wet knife right on the plate or board. To move it, slide it onto a flat spoon or spatula.
- In soups and sauces, don't stir; swirl the pot or push the sauce over the tofu with the back of a spoon.
To deep-fry, turn the blotted pieces in potato or corn starch and fry them briefly. That makes the typical tender crust of agedashi tofu.
Buying and storing
Silken tofu comes in two forms. You find fresh silken tofu in the refrigerated section of some supermarkets, in organic stores and at an Asian grocery store. There is also shelf-stable silken tofu in cartons, which keeps unopened without refrigeration until the best-before date and often sits in the Asian aisle. Online you can get both.
Put leftover silken tofu in a dish, cover it with fresh water and refrigerate it covered. Change the water daily and use the tofu within two to three days. If it smells sour or feels slimy, throw it away. Freezing isn't worth it: it turns spongy afterward and loses the smooth texture you buy it for.
Silken tofu is made of soybeans and so contains the allergen soy. Which miso paste suits the soup is explained in Types of miso.