The Best Tofu Brands According to Chefs

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You probably know that tofu (or bean curd) is basically coagulated soy milk—the process is not that different from making cheese by coagulating cow’s or sheep’s or goat’s milk. To make tofu, producers cook ground soybeans in water and separate the liquid soy milk from the solids. Then they’ll generally add a firming agent to the liquid to encourage the formation of curds, and press the curds into the delicious white bricks we know as tofu.

But there isn’t just one kind of tofu, or two, or three—there are block (also called cotton tofu) and silken varieties, ranging from soft to extra-firm. David Kuo, chef and owner of Little Fatty in Los Angeles, says that he grew up eating tofu at every meal. Finding the right tofu for the job, though, depends on the dish you’re making and your personal preference. “For breakfast, we would have hot silken tofu with ginger syrup and red dates. My mom would make the best mapo tofu with soft tofu; and my grandma made this delicious stir-fried dish with smoked firm tofu, garlic chives, Chinese celery, and bean sprouts,” says Kuo.

These days, you’re more likely than ever to be able to find really high quality tofu wherever you live. And that quality makes a difference, whether you’re eating your tofu raw or cooked. I spoke with Kuo and five other chefs and cookbook authors about the best tofu brands to buy and how they like to use each one.

David Kuo, Chef and Owner of Little Fatty in Los Angeles, CA

If you think tofu is flavorless, your first step should be to seek out a local, small-batch producer. David Kuo heartily recommends Gardena, CA-based Meiji, whose tofu he describes as having a fresh, subtly sweet flavor. It’s not uncommon for customers to open the package and eat the tofu as is—no cooking or additional ingredients necessary. “It has a super creamy texture,” says Kuo, “and it's so flavorful you can eat it plain, with a spoon.”

Meiji sells a variety of different options, but they’re most famous for their Supreme Tofu, which has a thick, pudding-like consistency, and is made with twice as many soybeans as most other types. “When you taste Meiji for the first time, you realize what real tofu should taste like,” says Kuo. He loves eating it cold, topped with this sauce, scallions, grated fresh ginger, and furikake.

BUY IT: Meiji Tofu at select stores

Denise St. Onge, Chef of Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, CA

Many restaurateurs in the Bay Area—including Chef Denise St. Onge of Greens—source local, organic soy products from Oakland producer, Hodo, and the company’s reach has expanded nationwide. “Hodo tofu is packed full of flavor—you can taste the nuttiness and richness of the beans,” St. Onge says. “The yuba ranges from creamy and rich to tender and packed with protein. It’s perfect for sautéing as noodles.” She also likes to marinate Hodo’s medium-firm tofu in a tamari, red wine, and shiitake mushroom solution.

“There are so many ways to be creative with tofu,” St. Onge goes on. “We have done stews, soups, braises, curries, spring rolls, yuba noodle salads, stir fry, sushi, ice cream, custards—you can even make churros with it!”

BUY IT: Hodo Tofu at select stores

BUY IT: Hodo Tofu, $4 for 10 ounces on Instacart

Ryan Wong, Chef and Owner of Needle in Los Angeles, CA

When Chef Ryan Wong is looking for tofu that has a smooth texture but still holds up during cooking, he reaches for the soft tofu from Visoy. “Visoy makes a really good soft tofu with great flavor, and just the right amount of firmness,” says Wong. “It has a nutty soy milk flavor with the consistency of a creamy almond jello.” He likes to serve it as a cold dish or deep-fried.

BUY IT: Visoy Tofu at select stores

Nancy Singleton Hachisu, Author of Japan: The Cookbook

Nancy Singleton Hachisu says that when she’s visiting the States from Japan, she prefers to purchase fresh tofu directly from the makers, rather than buying boxes at grocery stores. She says she looks for tofu that’s “creamy, with a beautiful texture similar to custard. The bean flavor,” she adds, “should be gentle and the tofu should have no unpleasant smells.”

Meiji, she says “is the closest to Japanese tofu,” praising its creamy texture and “lovely soy fragrance.” She has also used Phoenix Bean from Chicago and Ota Tofu from Portland, OR. When she’s elsewhere for a book event, though, she orders shipments of Hodo’s medium tofu, yuba, and soy milk. She appreciates its “excellent bean flavor,” noting that “the medium is harder than I would use in Japan, but it works well for dressed dishes (aemono) if creamed-up in the food processor.”

To eat her tofu cold, she’ll dress it with soy sauce, katsuobushi, grated ginger, and chopped scallions. Or she’ll smash it with miso and sesame to dress blanched greens or crucifers.

BUY IT: Hodo Tofu at select stores

BUY IT: Hodo Tofu, $4 for 10 ounces on Instacart

Jason Vincent, Chef of Chef's Special Cocktail Bar in Chicago, IL

Chef Jason Vincent concurs with Nancy Singleton Hachisu: If you’re in the Chicago area, you need to be eating the small-batch tofu from Phoenix Bean, a producer that starts the tofu process with Illinois-grown, non-GMO soybeans. (If you’ve ever eaten the garlic tofu, mapo tofu, or sweet and sour tofu at Chef’s Special Cocktail Bar, then you’re already a step ahead, and you’ve definitely eaten Phoenix Bean.) “The texture is creamy without the mouthfeel of dairy,” Chef Vincent notes, saying he likes to serve sesame oil and chili-marinated tofu “very cold," with cucumber and fermented black beans.

BUY IT: Phoenix Bean Tofu at select stores

Abe Conlon, Chef and Owner of Fat Rice in Chicago, IL

Chef Abe Conlon celebrates all of tofu’s forms: “I use soft tofu for a spicy, quick breakfast with crunchy peanuts, scallion, soy sesame and chilli oil; firm tofu for a vegan saag paneer; and tofu noodles with a Vietnamese-style broth with miso, pineapple, tomato, and shiso.”

When he’s shopping for tofu, he always looks for two things: non-GMO and organic. He’s a big fan of the Whole Foods 365 Organic brand and—you guessed it—Phoenix Bean. “Some tofu products can have a pronounced soy flavor. I like the 365 and Phoenix Bean Tofu because of their mild flavor and versatile textures," he says. Conlon also mentioned that he loves Phoenix Bean’s turmeric-seasoned firm baked tofu: “It’s great slivered and stir-fried with chives, bean sprouts, and shiitakes."

BUY IT: Whole Foods 365 Organic Tofu at Whole Foods Market

BUY IT: Whole Foods 365 Organic Tofu on Instacart

Wondering how to use all of this tofu? Here are our favorite tofu recipes.

Originally Appeared on Epicurious