Doufu Ru (腐乳) — Fermented Bean Curd: Red and White Varieties · The Chinese Canon

I

Origin

Not yet written for this entry.

II

Description

Doufu ru (腐乳, literally fermented tofu, also known as Chinese fermented bean curd or Chinese cheese) is produced by inoculating cubes of fresh tofu with a mold (Actinomucor elegans or Mucor sufu), allowing the mold to grow on the surface for a few days, then submerging the mold-coated cubes in a brine of rice wine, salt, and various spice combinations for 1-6 months. The mold's enzymes slowly break down the tofu proteins into amino acids and peptides (umami compounds) and convert the fats into aromatic fatty acids, producing a soft, intensely flavoured, complex product. Two principal types: white doufu ru (bai doufu ru, 白腐乳) — mild, creamy, used in braised dishes and marinades; red doufu ru (nan ru, 南乳, or hong doufu ru, 红腐乳) — coloured and flavoured with red yeast rice (hong qu, 红曲), distinctly earthier and more complex.

III

The Thread

—French camembert is produced by a closely related mold-ripening process — the mold Penicillium camemberti on the surface of cheese functions analogously to Actinomucor on doufu ru

—Korean doenjang and Japanese miso use soy-based fermentation to achieve similar umami compound development

IV

Flavour Context

Not yet written for this entry.

Pillars V — VII

The full training pages are part of membership.

Quality hierarchy, sensory tests, and where the dish lives or dies — on every entry in the Library.

Enter · from $49 a year