The Book Of Tofu

Image Gallery  Opening agé into pouches.

From The Book of Tofu, copyright 1975 by William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi. Excerpts used by permission of Autumn Press, Inc.

In MOTHER NOS. 41 and 42, Bill Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi (see the Plowboy Interview in MOTHER NO. 44) explained the art of making and serving tofu. Below, the authors teach us how to prepare this nutritious—and inexpensive—food yet another way: deep-fried tofu.

Three types of deep-fried tofu are prepared in most Japanese (and many American) tofu shops: thick agé (pronounced ah-gay ), whole cakes of regular tofu which have been pressed and deep—fried; ganmo, deep-fried burger-shaped patties or small balls of firmly pressed tofu containing minced vegetables and sesame seeds; and age?L, small pouches or puffs of deep-fried tofu that can be filled with salads, grains, cooked vegetables, or other stuffings.

Many Japanese chefs and tofu masters are of the opinion—with which we agree—that of the various types of tofu, deep-fried tofu may be most suited to Western tastes and cooking. All three varieties have a distinct, hearty flavor, golden-brown color, and firm, meaty texture that remind some of fried chicken. In fact the word ganmo actually means "mock goose", and this tasty tofu was originally developed by chefs who longed for the flavor of wild goose meat, a delicacy once forbidden to all but the Japanese nobility.

Deep-fried tofu can be used as a delicious and inexpensive substitute for meat in a remarkably wide variety of recipes. Grilled or broiled, it has a savory barbecued aroma; added to casseroles, sautéed vegetable dishes, or curry and spaghetti sauces, it adds body, texture, and plenty of protein; served in sandwiches, egg dishes, or atop pizzas, it may be used like cold cuts or bacon; and when frozen, its structure undergoes a total change, making it even more meatlike, tender, and absorbent.

Because the processes of pressing and deep-frying greatly reduce the water content in this tofu, it will stay fresh for long periods of time without refrigeration. Thus it is well suited for use in lunch boxes or on picnics and hikes, even during the warm summer months.

In addition to imparting a rich flavor and aroma to tofu, the process of deep-frying also adds highly digestible polyunsaturated fats, usually from either rapeseed or soy oil. Thus when deep-fried tofu is used in place of meat, it serves as a source of the fatty acids necessary for a balanced diet and simultaneously helps to reduce the intake of saturated fats.

All varieties of deep-fried tofu are rich in protein: thick age?L, ganmo, and age?L contain respectively 10.1, 15.4, and 18.6 percent protein by weight. Thus both ganmo and age?L have a higher percentage of protein than either eggs or hamburger (which have 13 percent each). A typical 5-ounce serving of thick age?L, for example, provides about one-third of the daily adult requirement of usable protein.