Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Is this the correct tofu?


Recommended Posts

One does not need the fermented tofu to make this.  If one uses it, though, the more traditional type is the one called 南腐乳 ("southern fermented bean curd") or simply 南乳, which is more common in Fujian/Southern China and, through the diaspora, in SE Asia. But the one you have is fine too.  Both fall into the general category of "red fermented tofu".  They have a slightly different taste from the more-often-found "white" ones.

 

Here's a couple of recipes for making it without the fermented tofu - here and here.

 

"Bakkwa" is the Hokkien for it.  I know it as "long yook" (or "long yuk") which is the Cantonese for it.  The distinctive smokiness from grilling it over charcoal is a key component of the stuff in a traditional sense, and the best ones are done in that manner.  I have fond memories of walking down certain streets when growing up and gazing at (and smelling) all the long yook being grilled on these big grates over, yes, big spreads of charcoal embers in shops (kopitiam-type) basically side-by-side. Long yook was also made not with minced pork, but with shredded fatty pork - so the sheets of it that were formed still visibly had strands of pork tissue plus the fat in it, as opposed to the even "minced" look that is the result of the recipes above and the Youtube recipe.  Some of the stuff from the best stores in the place I grew up in did it this way.  Grilled over charcoal, of course. :-) 

Edited by huiray (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...