Tofu wine pairing

The tofu wine pairing is a curious coupling. While Tofu has in the past garnered a bad reputation among children, and some adults; it is delicious and versatile. Properly preparing tofu, using amazing tofu wine recipes and tofu wine or a great pairing prove it is not difficult to integrate tofu into your meal plan.

Tofu: The Basics

Tofu is a soy product that has a subtle, neutral flavor. It can easily be made savory or sweet. Tofu has long been a staple in vegetarian cuisine. Depending on production, it is soft or firm. As soy is a legume, tofu is rich in protein; while maintaining a low-calorie count. It contains large amounts of iron, calcium, and magnesium.
Being neutral in flavor, filled with nutrients, and smooth or meaty texture; makes tofu pair amazingly with vegetables or meats. Additionally, an important thing to remember when preparing tofu is it’s ability to soak up flavor. To this end, marinading tofu in flavorful spices or sauces allows the soy to take on their flavors.

Selecting Wines

The proper wine-food pair depends on a few factors. There are many rules, charts, and advice online that help when looking for the perfect wine that will complement the meal.
Tofu wine pairing is complementary or congruent. Complementary pairing stands for balancing the contrasting tastes and flavors of the wine and food. The congruent pairing creates a balance by amplification of the shared flavors between the wine and food.
Ultimately, which to choose?

Take a look at our basic chart for pairing wines!

The Tofu Wine Pairing

Any great tofu dish is only made better by wine! Therefore, you should also think about the wine you serve with the meal.

Baked tofu recipes generally call for white wine, or a semi-sweet red. When baking tofu, the proteins in it get denatured, and due to its neutral nature, it does not have a strong signature taste. This requires the use of spices, or flavorful ingredients. A dry wine can drown out the subtle flavors. A semi-sweet red, may compliment amazingly, quelling the heat of spice, or bringing out the savory in a dish.

When cooking tofu with meat and strong spices or ingredients such as soy sauce, select a fruitier red wine, giving balance. The stronger taste and the fruitiness of the red wine will complement the flavors nicely.

White wines will go well with light stir-fry’s of mainly vegetables, something light to compliment simple flavors.

Dishes With A Tofu Wine Marinade

A tofu wine marinade is another great way to Incorporate wine when cooking tofu. It will is a great way to enhance the flavors of any tofu dish. There are numerous tofu wine recipes online that you can easily make and not be disappointed.
Marinading firm tofu in a sweet white wine is a great way to enhance it’s sweetness when served in desserts. However, if you marinade the same firm tofu in a red wine marinade, it will take on the savory flavors; enhancing the properties of any savory dish dish.

In Conclusion

It is important to know how to adequately pair wine with food. However, it does not take an expert sommelier to do it. There are no written rules, only suggestions. Experiment and enjoy tofu and wine however you’d like!