Moscow Food Co-op Food Review| Note: Prices are valid as of May 2003. |
by Vicki Reich, from the May 2003 Newsletter
Nothing says ‘natural foods’ to people more than tofu. And here at the Co-op we have lots of tofu. Ever wondered if there is a difference among the eight different kinds of plain, fresh tofu we carry? Well, I did. So this month I took home all eight varieties of fresh tofu, marinated them in tamari, baked them, and brought them back to the Co-op for a taste test. I did try all of them plain before I marinated them, so I could taste the true flavor of the tofu. I was afraid no one else would be game for trying the tofu “raw” so you’ll just have to take my word on the raw flavor profiles.
Here’s the blow-by-blow in the order they came out of my shopping bag.
Small Planet Firm Tofu—made with organic soybeans and nigari as the coagulant. $2.59/# bulk and $2.95 for 15.5 oz. package. This was by far the best tasting tofu, raw. It has a bright, fresh flavor. It slices nicely and also crumbles well. It absorbed the marinade thoroughly and has a firm meaty texture when baked.
Surata Tofu—made with organic soybeans and nigari. $2.15# bulk. Surata has a slightly creamier texture raw and a smoother texture baked than Small Planet did. The raw flavor was much blander than Small Planet but not unpleasant. It is an extra firm tofu and the marinade did not soak through all the way through. It baked up very firm.
Soy Deli Nigari Tofu—made with organic soybeans and nigari. $1.99 for 12 oz or $1.55 for 8 oz. This tofu was very firm when raw and had a cardboard taste and grainy texture that did not improve with baking. This was the least liked tofu of the group.
White Wave Reduced Fat Tofu—made from soybeans grown without pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers; with nigari and calcium sulfate (a natural coagulant). $1.95 for 16 oz. This is the only reduced-fat tofu we carry. It sliced nicely and didn’t have any noticeable difference in texture from the full-fat varieties. Raw, it has a subtle, pleasant beany taste and sliced nicely. It baked up firm with a more pronounced beany taste.
Soyganic Medium Firm Tofu—made with organic soybeans, calcium sulfate, and glucono-delta-lactone (a coagulant made from corn syrup). $1.95 for 16 oz. This is the only medium-firm tofu we carry and it is noticeably different in texture. It is much softer and creamier than the other tofu we tried, and I was surprised it stood up to be flipped and handled while baking. It has a good flavor both raw and baked. It would be a good choice for dips or smoothies.
Island Spring Tofu—made with organic soybeans, nigari and calcium sulfate. $1.89 for 16 oz. This tofu is very grainy right out of the package. The outside layer kind of falls apart as you take it out of the container. It would be okay if you were going to crumble it into something, but it didn’t slice well. It is bland when plain, but it did absorb the marinade nicely. It has a grainy texture when baked as well.
White Wave Firm Tofu (in the green box)—made with organic soybeans, nigari, and calcium sulfate. $1.85 for 16 oz. Unlike the reduced-fat version, this tofu has a rubbery consistency when uncooked and a very beany taste. When baked the texture turned somewhat creamy yet firm but still had a beany aftertaste.
Soyganic Extra Firm Tofu—made with organic soybeans, nigari and calcium sulfate. $1.99 for 12.3 oz. This is by far the firmest tofu we tried. It sliced nicely but did not absorb much of the marinade. It has a slightly beany taste both cooked and uncooked.
And now the results. I was surprised to find that there was that much difference among brands of tofu, and that there is a vast difference between the best tofu and the worst, and not that much difference among the middle of the road tofu. I thought that Small Planet Tofu was overall the best and the only one worth eating plain. Kenna thought Surata was the best and I think it comes in a somewhat close second. This is a good thing since these are the two kinds of tofu we use in our deli. The worst by far was Soy Deli, which we both had a hard time eating and probably isn’t long for the shelf. The others were all okay but not outstanding on either end of the spectrum.
If you like softer tofu, I’d say go with the Soyganic Medium. If you like your tofu really firm, go with the Soyganic Extra Firm (or better yet, buy some Small Planet, wrap it in a towel and weight it with a plate for 20 minutes to get rid of some of the water and firm it up). And if you’re looking for less fat in your tofu, the White Wave Reduced Fat is the lowest in fat (but not by much, Small Planet is a close second. Am I starting to sound biased?)
If you haven’t tried tofu yet, do not be afraid. There are tons of resources out there on how to prepare delicious meals with this versatile food and starting with a good block of tofu is the way to begin.
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