The tofu pudding is a warm and delicious treat, even better accompanied by the mild ginger syrup. If youвЂ™re feeling adventurous you can get one of the flavored tofus (one with bits of mushrooms or one with pieces of ginger, lemon grass and chile flakes) for only 25 cents more. It adds an unusual bit of vinegar to its regular tofu, which creates a slightly tangy flavor but doesnвЂ™t overwhelm the basic soybean taste. One of the best in WestminsterвЂ™s Little Saigon is Dong Phung Tofu. The majority of small tofu purveyors in the Southland are Vietnamese. Despite their differences, the one thing these little places have in common is that they are family-run businesses - many of them hidden in some of the most unassuming of the mini-malls in the area. And if youвЂ™ve never had fresh soy milk, youвЂ™re in for a tasty surprise.Д®ach artisan tofu shop has its own way of making the soybean curds. You can also find zaru tofu, served in a basket, and a soft Japanese tofu you can eat with a spoon. Vietnamese purveyors offer soy puddings (available both hot and cold the hot varieties are tastier), which make a dessert when topped with sweet ginger syrup. In addition to the fresh blocks of tofu (available in varying firmness), a surprising variety of fresh soy products are available in Southern California. It is served chilled or boiling hot, smooth like pudding or firm as an edible brick. It can be eaten sweet or salty, mild or spicy. There are only three essential ingredients: soybeans, water and some kind of salt. Whatever you call it, the basis of tofu-making is quite simple. The Chinese call it daufu, Vietnamese call it dauhu, and Koreans call it dubu. However, we call it by its Japanese name because they were the first to popularize it in this country. Tofu was first made in China more than 2,000 years ago. They offer their gorgeous, creamy white wares fresh daily, so that you too can experience the joys of soybean heaven. They wake up at dawn to get the soybean grinding started. Luckily for us, a handful of people in Southern California are obsessed with making tofu the old-fashioned way. ItвЂ™s really a shame because tofu can be a beautiful thing, especially when itвЂ™s freshly made - soy beans dried, soaked and boiled in distilled water, lovingly ground to a perfect pulp, boiled, coagulated with sea salt, strained, formed and wrapped still soft and warm, fresh from its milky bath. That may be because people think of tofu only as the characterless cubes sitting cold and forlorn in the back corner of salad bar bins or those hard, joyless bricks that vegetarians bring to backyard barbecues. Others think that itвЂ™s just a jiggly white brick with no flavor. Some people dismiss it as health food for vegans and hippies.

Fried tofu recipe