Difference Between South and North Tofu

South Tofu Also known as gypsum tofu, it uses a liquid plaster as the setting agent, with a softer and smoother texture.Northern Tofu Also known as miso tofu; as its name suggests, the setting agent used is miso, which results in a firmer texture compared to South tofu with a less smooth cut surface. With the, there are now many new types of tofu available. There are tricks to picking good tofu; high-quality tofu has a neat and clean cut without impurities, and is elastic;while poor quality tofu has an uneven cut with potential impurities, is prone to breaking, and feels sticky on the surface.

Northern Tofu or Northern-style tofu, also known as old tofu or hard tofu. It refers to tofu set with salt brine as a coagulant. Its characteristics include stronger hardness, elasticity, and toughness compared to southern tofu, lower water content (80%-85%), and a richer flavor than southern tofu.

The difference between south and north tofu

From appearance:

South tofu is off-white in color and very soft. Northern tofu appears slightly yellowish and is relatively firmer.

In production:

South tofu uses gypsum as the setting agent, while northern tofu uses salt brine.

The tofu we usually buy from supermarkets is south tofu; it's watery and soft, not suitable for stir-frying but good for soups. The steamed green onion with tofu in restaurants is also made from south tofu..

While the tofu cut into blocks at supermarkets is typically northern tofu, appearing older and more suitable for stir-frying.