rss feedNothing says Independence Day like a bean curd cookoff (with mapo tofu) on Iron Chef
This Iron Chef video clip featuring Chen Kenichi and Chiyo Cho runs a bit long. But it’s worth hanging on to the end, near the seven-minute mark, to see the tofu creations.
I’ve always been a fan of mapo tofu. So, that dish quickly won me over.
Chen used his dad’s recipe in this battle royal of sorts. And one judge, a food critic, noted that Chen’s dad introduced the dish to Japan.
But the other dishes really demonstrate how the human mind, sense of taste and ingredients can come together for genuine creations.
There’s grilled tofu with lobster liver sauce, fried tofu with nuts and spicy sauce and an original dish, tofu and mango gyoza.
Another dish has tofu and medicinal herbs.
Of course, the three-person commentary is, as the saying goes, worth the price of admission.
One example: “Check it out. The flames are rising. Wow, some flame-ola on the Iron Chef’s side!”
It’s no wonder that people in China call chefs “shifu.” That’s a polite way to address those with a specialized skill.
If you have time, you can watch another eight-minute clip, which features the judges and their comments.
Some of the better comments from the judges:
“It’s a complex harmony.”
“The fact that you chose to make mapo tofu in this battle reveals to me the policy of this Iron Chef’s feelings about tofu.”
“I was thinking, ‘This was going to be so good or so bad.’”
Happy Fourth of July!
