How to Choose Tofu and Soy Products

Fermented and specialty soy products are two different things in the kitchen at once: some of them act as a flavor base (soy sauces, fermented pastes), others are standalone ingredients with their own texture (yuba, aburaage, fermented tofu). Once you clarify that role, the “similar” names will stop confusing you and you’ll start choosing based on what the ingredient should actually do in the dish.

"Good tofu" is not universally the firmest or the softest. You recognize quality mainly by whether a particular tofu corresponds to what you need from it in a dish: a different type fits soup, another for the pan, and another for cream or dessert. The article explains clear differences between silken and firm tofu and practical signs to identify a quality piece right after opening and during cooking.