Taste of the Week. Tofu from Kilbrittain

Taste of the Week.

Tofu by OTOFU from Kilbrittain

I don't come across Tofu much but, with my curiosty engaged by a lovely small plate at Vikki's in Sunday's Well recently, I was well primed to buy when I saw Ronan and Méabh's Tofu on Neighbourfood a week later and that was how it ended up as our Taste of the Week

Siolra Foods tells us that their OTOFU organic tofus, are handmade in Kilbrittain, West Cork, using an age-old process and recipe. "Our tofu has a beany, fresh flavour with a firm texture and is for those who want to add more protein to their diet or for those who want to eat less meat like myself, my partner and our toddler. Our marinated options, Korean Chilli Tofu and Miso Sesame Tofu are great for an extra kick of flavour."

"Did you know that tofu has the same protein value as eating meat, fish or eggs - and we don't compromise on taste! The soybeans we use are organic, non-GMO and European grown."

By the way,  the dish at Vikki's was Roasted Aubergine  and this came with crispy tofu, baby onions, confit tomato and rocket salad. This expertly executed plateful was rich and satisfying.

The Siolra website  is very clear and concise. It introduces you to the couple behind the venture, gives the expanding lists of stockists and also quite a few recipes.

We went with a vegetable stir-fry (ingredients bought from our local butcher Davidsons) and paired that with our Tofu purchase. They have three choices at present on Neighbourfood and we picked the Miso Sesame Marinated Firm Organic one, a rectangular "slab" weighing 250 grams. We followed the cooking instructions on the label, rather than any of 1000s on the internet (confusing!), and added the Tofu to the stir-fry for what turned out to be a very enjoyable plateful. Well worth a try.

Chef Pat Kiely's Aubergine with tofu at Vikki's.

What is Tofu? I'll let Ronan and Méabh answer that one:  Tofu is a high protein, plant-based food made from soybeans.  It has been eaten for over 2000 years and we still make it using the same 3 ingredients they used back then - soybeans, water and nigari.  It comes in many forms including firm, silken, marinated, stinky and fried to name a few.  Our tofus are firm, meaning the tofu holds it's shape when cooked and has a good bite in it's texture.  We hope to launch a silken tofu soon, which as its name suggests, brings its own culinary delights.