I will never tire of tofu.

You know why? Because tofu contains multitudes. Even the word fails to do it justice, because tofu is a single thing in the same way that, well, the cooking of so many places — India, Mexico, Africa, China — is a single thing. We should really be talking about tofus, shouldn’t we?

All learning involves discoveries, but I can’t think of many things that have caused as many “a ha!” moments over the decades for me. Those moments were realizations that, the first few times, made me think (foolishly) that I had figured out tofu. As I spotlight some of those moments now, keep in mind that some of these “discoveries” were, well, later “discovered” to be wrong.

A ha! Tofu is not a meat substitute, but a great, important ingredient in its own right that deserves respect.

A ha! The first step in making great tofu, as all the hippie cooks knew, is to press the liquid out of it first, which helps it absorb marinades.

A ha! There are so many different kinds of tofu! Extra-firm is not firm is not soft is not silken, and each requires different treatment.

A ha! The best tofu is fried tofu, and the best fried tofu is made from extra-firm tofu you coat in cornstarch.

A ha! Make that potato starch.

A ha! Microwaving is faster than pressing to get rid of much of firm tofu’s liquid.

A ha! Boiling tofu cubes in salted water might be the best way of all to season them from the inside and, counterintuitively, to rid them of extra moisture.

A ha! Don’t worry so much about all that! Plenty of Asian cooks don’t press or otherwise treat tofu to drive out moisture; they just pat it dry, throw it in a pan, and add flavor to the outside if they want.

A ha! You can fry soft tofu! And you should!

A ha! Silken tofu isn’t just for pureeing, but perhaps best eaten cold and raw with toppings.

A ha! Tofu must be so hard to make from scratch, there’s no point in making it yourself.

A ha! Have you tasted it freshly made? That is the point in making it yourself!

A ha! Double freezing changes tofu into something chewy and absorbent and amazing.

A ha!

What have been some of your “a ha” moments when it comes to tofu? Share in the comments — and better yet, share with your fellow students at my next Zoom cooking class, set for Sept. 27, from noon to 2 p.m. Eastern. See below for more details!

On Sunday, Sept. 27, from noon to 2 p.m. Eastern, I’ll be sharing more details on decades’ worth of tofu revelations as we make this menu:

Your ticket purchase grants you access to the live Zoom, where you can cook along or just watch or ask questions or some combination of those; and to the private recording afterward, which you can enjoy at your leisure. Sign up now!

Makes about 12 rolls (4 servings) // Time: Weekday // Storage: Best eaten while fresh, but can be refrigerated, wrapped in a damp towel, and sealed in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.

For the pickled onions:

For the peanut sauce:

For assembly:

Make the pickled onions: In a small bowl, combine the onion, vinegar, water, sugar, pepper flakes, and salt. Let it sit while you proceed with the recipe.

Make the peanut sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, hot water, soy sauce, sriracha, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until smooth. Taste and season with more salt and/or sugar as needed.

To assemble: In a pot of boiling water, cook the rice vermicelli according to the package directions. Drain well, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Using kitchen shears, cut the pile of noodles in thirds crosswise.

Cut the tofu into 1 × 2-inch (2.5cm × 5cm) rectangles about ½ inch (1.3cm) thick. Pat them dry. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, add a single layer of tofu and cook until golden brown on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate or baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt. Repeat with the remaining tofu.

Drain the onions.

Fill a wide shallow bowl with room-temperature water. Working with one rice paper round at a time, submerge until pliable but not floppy or soft, 5 to 10 seconds. Lift out of the water, letting any excess drain off, and place on a large plate or cutting board. In the center of the round, make a small horizontal pile of a piece of torn lettuce, a couple of slices of cucumber, a few pickled onion slices, a mix of herbs, and a small handful of noodles. Place a few planks of tofu along the bottom of the pile.

Fold in the left and right sides, then start with the side nearest to you and roll away from you tightly, using the stability of the tofu to help. (You can also make a wrapper with an open top by folding the left side in before adding the filling.) Repeat with the remaining rice paper rounds and fillings.

Serve with the peanut sauce for dipping.

Substitutions

Halved for two

Halving this recipe gets you about 6 rolls — a generous serving for two as a light meal, or a starter for a larger dinner. The main scaling consideration is the tofu: A standard block is 16 ounces, so halving means using 8 ounces and saving the rest for another use (or just frying the whole block and snacking on the extra, which is never a bad outcome). The peanut sauce halves cleanly but makes a fairly small quantity; consider making the full batch anyway since it keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator and is excellent on grain bowls, noodles, or roasted vegetables.

For the pickled onions:

For the peanut sauce:

For assembly:

Follow the same method as the full recipe. For the tofu, use a medium skillet rather than a large one; you might be able to cook it in a single batch rather than two. Everything else — the pickled onions, the noodles, and the rolling — follows the same technique.

Adapted from “Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking” (Ten Speed Press, 2024), copyright Joe Yonan.

These are gift links to the recipes at the Post. Note that they require you to register but not subscribe. Gift links are free to access for 2 weeks, so if you want to come back to any of these recipes but don’t subscribe or want to subscribe, I suggest you find a way to save them!

Crunchy Tacos With Spicy Tofu

Fragrant Dressed Tofu With Garlic and Basil

Gochiso-Doufu (Decorated Tofu)