Most of us think of tofu as a tender whiteish block but it can take on a myriad of forms. For instance, imagine a thin layer of tofu that’s been pressed so firmly and under so much pressure that it’s mostly devoid of water. That’s gāndòufu (干豆腐, dry tofu), which is sold at Asian markets as stacked sheets, mostly about a scant ⅛ inch thick but there are some that are about 1/32 inch thin.

Peel off a sheet and you’ll notice how sturdy it feels, kinda thick like khaki fabric, but nubby like linen or flax. The texture comes from coagulated soy milk curds being are pressed on pieces of coarse fabric.

Why try pressed tofu sheets?

For many reasons, including the fact that they have these wondrous properties:

Failsafe. Gāndòufu cannot be ruined. You can cut, tear and wrap with it.
Texture. The tofu sheets are like al dente tofu pasta. They have more chew and heft than block tofu.
Nutritious. Pressed tofu is high-protein tofu because it’s super duper dense.
Cooks and keeps well. Pressed tofu sheets retain their shape in a stir-fry, soak up broth and and sauce flavors like a dream, and keep for a long time in the fridge and freezer.

Pressed tofu sheet cultural tips

Pressed tofu sheets are popular in northeastern China. Don’t know where that is? North and east of Beijing. Among the notable places is Harbin, the city where a renowned ice and snow festival is held.

Despite the same characters being used, remember this language tidbit: gāndòufu is not the same as dòufugān. If you move the “gān” after “dòufu” you get a different type of dryish tofu tofu — the thicker slabs of pressed extra-firm tofu that’s sold plain, seasoned and baked, or smoked.

Pressed tofu sheets = gāndòufu (干豆腐)
Pressed tofu slabs = dòufugān (豆腐干)

Gāndòufu is commonly sold as rectangles, circles or fringe-like coils. What’s in the above photo is all made from the same stuff — pressed tofu sheets.

What to make with Pressed Tofu Sheets?

Many things, including using them as a vegan wrap that’s akin to how you’d serve Peking duck. Only here, the wrap is eaten without the duck; the protein-rich tofu sheet stands in for the flour-based wrapper and the duck.

RECIPE

Print Recipe

Sauce for Pressed Tofu Sheet Wraps

You can use hoisin, but that sauce comes from southern China. Get much closer to northeaster China by combining a few ingredients. Korean doenjang is very similar to pure, unadulterated fermented bean paste used in many parts of East Asia. A dark miso, such as Hatcho, would work too.

Ingredients

¼ cup Korean doenjang fermented bean paste
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions

Stir together and add water by the ½ to 1 tablespoon until the consistency of a thick, plop-able sauce. water. Aim for a salty, fatty, slightly sweet flavor.

What I also love to make with gāndòufu is to turn them into noodles for a spicy, tangy salad-y dish. It can be made in about 15 minutes. The full recipe is featured in this Pass the Fish Sauce newsletter dispatch. But, here's a casual video summary of how it comes together. (Remember to select "Stay" when prompted!)

Pressed Tofu Sheet Prep

The sheets are dry so you need to rehydrate them. After cutting then into whatever size needed for a recipe, I typically pour hot water over them, let them sit, and then drain to use. The tofu absorbs the water, softens and off flavor from transport or packaging will release. My soaking water always turns cloudy.

Cook up more soy joy with these tofu recipes and tips.