Fermented bean curd — 腐乳, or furu — is tofu that's been salted and aged in a brine until it turns creamy, salty, and deeply savory. Western cooks tend to buy a jar, use it once, and then leave it in the fridge for a year. That's a waste: one cube does the work of salt, soy sauce, and a good chunk of the aromatics.
The types you'll see
- Red furu (红腐乳): aged with red yeast rice, deeper and slightly sweet — the standard for braises
- White furu (白腐乳): milder, saltier, good for vegetable dishes and congee
- Spicy furu (辣腐乳): red furu with chili, nice as a condiment on rice
How to use it
Mash one or two cubes into the cooking liquid with the back of a spoon before anything else goes in. It dissolves and disappears into the sauce, leaving body rather than an identifiable flavor. It's also the traditional seasoning for stir-fried water spinach and a common addition to hot pot dipping sauce.
- Braises: one cube of red furu per 500g of meat, plus the sauce it came in
- Stir-fried greens: half a cube, added with the garlic
- Marinades: mash into the marinade for pork or tofu
- On the table: a cube alongside congee or plain rice
How much is too much
Furu is very salty, and this is where people go wrong. Start with one cube for a dish serving three or four, taste, then add more if needed. A whole jar in one pot will make the dish inedibly salty, and you can't fix it by adding water.
Substitutions
Storage
It's a preserved product and keeps for months, even a year, in the fridge after opening. Keep the cubes submerged in their brine and always use a clean spoon — introducing moisture or other food is what spoils it.
