What is Tofu Marinade?
Marinades traditionally have two purposes. Besides being used to flavor food, marinades are used as a tenderizer. As tofu is very tender and soft, tofu marinade is not used to tenderize raw tofu. Instead, it is used solely as a flavor enhancer. Marinades are made from mixes of herbs, spices and other flavors with liquids such as water, wine or vinegars. Tofu is left in the marinade for several hours during which it absorbs flavors and become tasty. Some marinades encourage water to be leached from tofu. This makes for a more firm tofu that is ideal for dishes such as stir fries. Any marinade can be adapted for use with tofu. When cooking for a vegan or vegetarian, however, it is important to ensure that the ingredients used in the marinade are suitable. This means ingredients such as fish sauce, meat extracts or stocks would not be suitable. Honey is often used in marinades and this is not suitable for people who lead a vegan lifestyle.
