Many people are interested in the benefits of using freeze dried foods in their day-to-day cooking. Not only are these items convenient to have on hand, but they can be an essential part of emergency preparedness. After all, freeze dried ingredients have a very long shelf-life and can easily be stored for many years. Fortunately, many delicious Japanese recipes are traditionally made with freeze dried ingredients and are an excellent way to use your food stores. For example, Kohya Dofu is freeze dried tofu and can be used for making everything from desserts to soups and even main courses.
Kohya Dofu
The Kohya Dofu typically needs to be reconstituted before use. Simply pour boiling water over the top and let it sit until it has reached a size that is about 3 or 4 times larger than its freeze dried state. Once the tofu has been reconstituted, you can simply squeeze out the excess moisture and cut into cubes. Prior to cooking, many dishes call for the tofu to be marinated in order to add additional flavor. Traditional marinades include sake, dashi, mirin or soy sauce.
The tofu can be fried and served with rice or simply cooked into soups and stews. The texture is very meaty and the marinade provides a delicious flavor. Tofu is also an excellent source of protein. Another great way to use the Kohya Dofu in its original freeze dried form is to grate it and use the powdered freeze dried tofu as a binder in meatballs and burgers. In fact, this grated Kohya Dofu can be used just as you would use regular bread crumbs.
In the Japanese culture, the use of freeze dried foods is very common. For example, miso soup is a Japanese staple, and many of the ingredients can easily be found both fresh and freeze dried. One of the benefits of using freeze dried vegetables in this soup is that the soup can be made in a matter of minutes. Simply adding boiling water and letting the soup base and freeze dried vegetables reconstitute for several minutes is all that is needed to have a hearty steaming bowl of miso soup. For a culture that places great importance on its traditional foods, miso soup is a staple that no home would be without.
Author Bio: This author has written several books on Asian and Japanese cooking and is a contributing author for numerous cooking sites. With a specialty in Asian culture and cuisine, he has travelled extensively throughout Japan and other Asian countries.