Comments on Gastronomy Domine: Ma-po tofu

Hello ZK - couldn't agree more. I've had tofu in M...

2008-10-21T21:38:00.000+01:00

Hello ZK - couldn't agree more. I've had tofu in Malaysia that was worlds apart from most of the pasteurised stuff you find in supermarkets - that said, the Blue Dragon stuff's not half bad. UK and US readers should hotfoot it to their nearest Chinatown; some large suppliers will carry freshly made tofu in their chiller cabinets, and it's usually pretty good.

Hi Alex! Not this time, actually; I had run out of an awful lot of Chinese and Malaysian stuff all at once, so I put in an order at Wai Yee Hong in Bristol, who ship throughout the country (and who shipped considerably more stuff than I can comfortably carry to the car from Mill Road to me). I should write a new post about suppliers I've discovered online since the one I wrote a couple of years back - watch this space!

Hello, just found your blog via Simmer 'til Done, ...

2008-10-21T08:52:00.000+01:00

Hello, just found your blog via Simmer 'til Done, lovely stuff. And you're in Cambridge as well. Did you get the tofu on Mill Road?

The good country tofu in Korea tastes so different...

2008-10-21T06:12:00.000+01:00

The good country tofu in Korea tastes so different than the bland jelly-like substance I grew up with in America. Just by itself it tastes like a light custard with a firm meaty texture. It actually has a pleasant aroma too.

Hi Lizzie! My understanding is that the further so...

2008-10-17T14:07:00.000+01:00

Hi Lizzie! My understanding is that the further south you get, the more likely your ma-po tofu is to contain beef - there's a sort of beef/pork continuum going on from north to south. Of course, there's nothing to stop those of you cooking this recipe to substitute the pork for beef - either would be darned tasty.

It's strange how people seem so resistant to tofu,...

2008-10-17T14:04:00.000+01:00

It's strange how people seem so resistant to tofu, but like you, I grew up with the proper stuff. Ma Po Tofu changed my boyfriend's mind.

It's funny how recipes vary so much; mine also uses fermented black beans, Sichuan pepper and beef. I was told beef was traditional but it changed to pork as it got easier to get hold of, but I must try it with pork one day.