**The Fascinating World of Hairy Tofu: A Culinary Adventure**
As we embarked on our culinary journey, we found ourselves at the edge of an unexplored territory - the realm of hairy tofu, also known as mao doufu. This curious ingredient, with its unique texture and flavor profile, was about to reveal itself to us in all its glory.
**The Preparation Process**
Our adventure began with the preparation of the tofu, which we would later learn to call "hairy" due to its peculiar appearance. We sliced the tofu into thin pieces, ready to be transformed by the sizzling oil. As we carefully placed the tofu into the hot oil, the room was filled with an enticing aroma that hinted at the wonders to come. The sound of the tofu sizzling in the oil created a symphony of sounds, each one more mesmerizing than the last.
**The Transformation**
As the minutes passed, our tofu pieces underwent a transformation that would leave us in awe. They changed color, becoming creamier and more inviting. We carefully turned them over to cook on all sides, watching as they morphed into their final form - crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy within. The mold on top of the tofu, which had initially seemed daunting, vanished without a trace, leaving behind a delicate, creamy texture.
**The Taste Experience**
With our hairy tofu finally ready, we decided to take a bite, eager to experience its unique flavor profile. We were met with a surprise - not as funky and bold as we had expected, but rather surprisingly mild and creamy. The taste was akin to a soft cheese, like feta and cream cheese mixed together, with an undertone of nuttiness that added depth to the dish.
**Frying and Enhancing the Flavor**
To take our hairy tofu experience to the next level, we decided to try it deep-fried, which proved to be a masterstroke. The fried version amplified the flavors, making the funky notes more pronounced while still maintaining an air of subtlety. We drizzled it with a sauce that was garlicy, chili-spicy, yet not overbearing, and fragrant from green onions and cilantro. This magical elixir brought out the best in our hairy tofu, transforming it into a culinary masterpiece.
**Plushness and Texture**
We then decided to revisit the same dish, this time opting for its uncooked form, which revealed an entirely different texture experience. The plusher, creamier version of the hairy tofu was a revelation, with a velvety smoothness that contrasted beautifully with the crispy fried version. We discovered that the mold on top of the uncooked tofu disappeared when it was consumed in this state, leaving behind only a hint of its original funkiness.
**A Recipe to Try**
As we concluded our culinary adventure, we realized that making hairy tofu was surprisingly easy and fun. With the right sauce, it could elevate any dish from ordinary to extraordinary. We left with a renewed sense of excitement for trying new foods and discovering hidden gems in the world of cuisine.
**The Verdict**
Our hairy tofu adventure proved to be an enlightening experience, showcasing the versatility and flavor profile of this often-overlooked ingredient. With its creamy texture and nutty undertones, it became clear why mao doufu was a staple in Chinese cuisine for centuries. Whether fried or uncooked, hairy tofu is a culinary treasure waiting to be discovered by adventurous foodies around the world.
**Sharing the Experience**
As we bid farewell to our hairy tofu adventure, we couldn't help but think of all those who may have missed out on this incredible culinary journey. That's why we want to share this experience with you - our readers, friends, and family members. We hope that by watching this video, you'll be inspired to try something new and exciting in the world of food.
**Conclusion**
Our exploration of hairy tofu was a testament to the power of culinary innovation and experimentation. It reminded us that even the most unexpected ingredients can hold hidden treasures waiting to be uncovered. As we close this chapter in our gastronomic journey, we look forward to continuing to explore new flavors, textures, and experiences with all of you - until next time!
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(spooky music)- Greetings, my beautiful lovelies.It's Emmy. How are you?It's great to see you, and welcome back.Today we are going to be making mao doufu,also known as hairy tofu.It comes from the Anhui province of China.It's tofu that's been inoculatedwith a type of fungus or mold --I'm not sure,it's not really clear to me which it is,because I've read both -- called mucor,and it creates a fuzzy, white,mold-like looking substance,grows on the outside.It also could be mycelia.It's not clear to me, as I said,whether it's a fungus or a mold,but it grows all over the tofuand it changes its flavor and consistency.It looks absolutely phenomenal, striking,and I was always so curiousto see what it tastes like.I learned about this yearsago, watching videos,but never knew how to make it.But I was able to purchase the inoculant,and today we are going to make it.Super excited.I used a few different internet resourcesto learn more about mao doufu,and I will put those links down belowin case you're curious aboutlearning more about hairy tofu.Now, the Anhui region in Chinais known for itssub-tropical temperatures,and that's probably one of the reasons whythis particular type oftofu did so well there,because you need a warmand humid environmentfor the mold to grow.Apparently this has beenaround for over 2000 years,and the tofu would beplaced on a bed of straw,and more straw wouldbe placed on top of it,and it would grow this mold on top of it.Kind of similar to natto,and if you haven't seenmy natto making video,you should definitely check that out.Natto is a specific typeof fermented soybeanthat comes from Japan,but it also was originallyinoculated and stored in straw,and it creates this really slimy,sticky substance around the beans,and makes them taste absolutely delicious.There is some preparationinvolved to make the actual tofu.So, first you need to get this:this is the inoculant to createthe hairy mold on the tofu.So one of these little packagesis plenty to make one batch of hairy tofu.You take this and youempty it into a small bowlwith 50 grams of water.Stir that around.Next, you take your firm style tofuand cut it into one to two inch cubes.Then you dip the cubes of tofuinto the prepared inoculant,and place it on a cheesecloth-lined rack.You can also do this in asteamer basket if you have one.The point is that you wantplenty of air circulationaround the tofu pieces.And then place it in a warmlocation for a few days.This can take three to five days,depending on the temperatureand climate of your area.So I live in New England,and fall is definitely here.It is much cooler than it has been,and much too cool for proper mold growth.So I placed my tofu into this,and this is a bread dough proofer.Love this thing.This is really great ifyou live in a cold climate.This has a thermostat on itso you can set it for theperfect proofing temperature.I set this for 80 degrees tokeep it nice and cozy inside.It's been sitting here for three days,and I have significant mold growth.So check this out.This proofing box alsocollapses and stores flat,which I really appreciate,when you have a smallspace or small kitchen.So here it is.My kitchen definitely haskind of a funky smell.Funky, not rotten.Kind of mushroomy and earthy.Funky, for sure.Duh-duh-duh!Look at this! It's amazing.Look!Look it!All the tofu has a velvetykind of coating on it.And when you look at it in the light,it just looks fuzzy, and like velvet.These ones have a darkening color to them.These ones are white and floofy,kinda like little cotton balls.Isn't that amazing?(spooky music)It's important to make surethat all of your equipmentis nice and clean,because you don't want to begrowing other types of mold.Also, if there are any other colors --black, green, brown, blue --any colors like that growing on therebesides this kind of creamy white color,do not eat the tofu.So this is ready to eat just like this,but you can also fry it.So I'm gonna do it two ways.I'm gonna taste it just as it is,but I'm also going to fryit and make a dipping sauce.So let's go ahead and prepare that.Isn't that amazing?Okay.Let's go ahead and make our sauce first.We're gonna need some hot oil --a couple tablespoons of just neutral oil;that means just a plain oil.I happen to have grape seed oil.Get that nice and hot.Mince some garlic.This is one good size clove.We're gonna chop up some cilantro.Probably a couple tablespoons.Add that to our bowl.Green onions.(knife chops)Some crushed chili.I'm just taking a stalk of my cilantroand dipping it into there.Hot oil, and it's sizzling,so that means it's nice and hot.And pour it right overour garlic and chilies,and aromatics.See how it does that?Now we're gonna add some black vinegar.Whoa! That was a lot.About a tablespoon.Soy sauce.Pinch of MSG.And a splash of water.You get a beautiful chiligarlic dipping sauce.No, don't need to adjust anything.Fantastic.Tangy, bright,salty, umami,chili-ed, but not overly spicy.Garlicy. It's fantastic.Let's go ahead and fry some of the tofu.Oh, wow.Wow! Look at that!So cute and puffy.That's what it looks like on the bottom.Oh yeah.Definitely smells funky.All righty. Into the oil.(tofu sizzles)(whispers) Look at that.Cute!The tofu has changed color a bit:it's more creamy.(tofu sizzles)All right, let's turnover those first pieces.And cook on all sides.Look how the mold just kind of disappears.All right! I think we're done.Alrighty.Here is the fried version.Duh-nuh!Oh yeah. Look at that.Look at that! Isn't that incredible?Alrighty. We're gonna try it straight up.My first taste of mao doufu -- hairy tofu.Here we go.Itadakimasu!Hmm!It's not what I expected.It's not as funky as Ithought it was going to be.It's creamy in texture,which I find surprising.Creamier, and not as bouncy.Let me show you what it looks like inside.See that?It's like creamy.And it tastes a little alcoholic.Mhmm.And it's funky, but not nearlyas funky as I expected it.I expected it to tastelike a really funky cheese,like an époisses or something.The texture is very interesting.The mold on top just...is barely detectable.Kind of just melts.And, it's more of aalcoholic, nutty flavor.Not salty at all,because we didn't seasonthis with anything,so it's just really theflavor of the tofu...and the mold.It's pretty good.It's very plain.Texture is like kind oflike a softer cheese,not as smooth as say,like a brie or something.Like feta and cream cheese mixed together.Like that.But very pleasant andvery subtle, actually.I thought it was gonna bemuch more aggressive tasting,but it's not.Yeah, I'm surprised how mild it was.Here's the fried version.It smells not funky at all.Let's try it plain first.Here we go. Itadakimasu!Mm!Mm!I actually feel like it tastes funkierwhen it's been deep fried.Kind of more intensified.But there's also a fried flavor to it.It tastes a little bit more like tofu now,but the funky flavors are more intense.I don't know.All right, let's try itwith the dipping sauce.This sauce, I think wouldmake anything taste fantastic.Yeah. Here we go.Mm!That sauce is so good!The sauce is garlicy,chili, but not too spicy.Fragrant from the greenonions and cilantro,salty, and it goes so wellwith the deep fried mao doufu.Which tastes like tofu, but different.Fried and, hmm,pungent.Mhmm.Mm!Terrific.Now I just want a little bowl of rice.Should have made rice, man.Really good.Of course, this is vegan, vegetarian.Hmm. Let's try one of these.Look how beautiful that is.So perfectly hairy.Let's try that with the sauce.Here we go.Mm!Mhmm, mm!Very different.This is much more plush,as you can imagine,like a velvety texture,but the entire experienceis more creamy and plushwhen you have it in thisstate, versus the fried state.When you deep fry it,it kind of toughensthe edges a little bit.The mold gets squished down completely,so it's not even noticeable.In this form, makes it seemjust like a fried tofu,in terms of a textural experience.The only difference is the flavor.It has a nutty kind of funky flavor.But for me, surprisingly subtle.Much more subtle than I expected.This, the funkiness is more present,and the creamier texture.This kind of dries out when you fry it,but this sauce is absolutely fantastic.Recommend making this.Have it with tofu, have it with noodles,have it on your rice, have it on anything.It's just delicious.Dumplings, fantastic.This is quite delicious too,and if you're curious about it,it's very easy to make as well.Alrighty, my lovelies.Thanks as always for watching.I hope you enjoyed that one.I hope you learned something.Please share this video with your friends.Follow me on social media,like this video, subscribe,and I shall see you in the next one.Toodle-oo. Take care.Bye!(bright violin music)(spooky music)Alrighty!I cannot wait to have mykids give this one a taste.Oh my goodness!\n"
