Jin’s Roasted Tofu – Spicy Flavor
Bitter: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Salty: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Sour/Tangy: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Sweet: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Umami: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰
Heat: ⭐✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰
Quick Flavor Notes: Roasty, umami, chili oil, meaty
Recommended: Yes
Texture: Extra firm tofu
Ingredients: Soybeans, Water, Soybean Oil, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Monosodium Glutamate, Magnesium Chloride, Spices, Chili Powder, Salt, Sugar, Disodium 5′-inosinate, Disodium 5′-guanylate
Jin’s Roasted Tofu is a product of Jinzai Food Group, a Chinese snack food producer based in Yueyang City which is in the Chinese Hunan province. With a history dating back to 1990 Jinzai foods is apparently the number one brand of dried fish snacks in China, but also produces tofu snacks, quail egg snacks, and konjac jelly snacks. They have several flavors of each available and this is the spicy version of their tofu snack. There’s apparently a hotter one as well but my local Asian grocery store did not have that in stock.
Roasted or dried marinated tofu, called dougan in China, is a food with a history dating back over 2,000 years. The ingredients in this snack are in part simple and in part obfuscated as is common in snacks produced in China. Starting with soybeans, as tofu is just soybean curd, there’s also oil for the marinade and the mystery “natural and artificial flavors”. Magnesium chloride is a natural salt typically derived from sea salt and has a long history of being used as a coagulant in traditional tofu making. There’s the trio of glutamates with MSG, inosinate, and guanylate, plus the expected chili pepper, salt, and sugar. Other than the mystery artificial (and mystery natural) flavors this is fairly clean for a Chinese snack food. Texturally its very firm for tofu though not nearly as firm as something like a beef jerky. Tofu comes through in the aroma as well as chili oil and hints of cumin and other spices.
The marinade soaks through the tofu block well and permeates it with flavor. The chili flavor is much more of a roasted and savory one than a bright heat. I can taste some actual chili pepper flavor and it reminds me a bit of a traditional chili crisp though with just a tiny hint of burn at the back of the throat and more aromatic flavor and fruit than typical comes in chili crisp. Aside from the chili flavor there is the flavor of the tofu which is mild and savory and has a firm yet yielding texture. The closest western equivalent would be a block of very firm omelet. Other than the chili flavor the major other spice I pick up is cumin, again fairly common in Chinese cuisine, as well as a bit of anise-y flavor that’s likely coming from Chinese five-spice or star anise. Overall it’s a very satisfying and slightly spicy bite with a nice deep roasty and umami flavor as well.
If you’ve never tried Chinese tofu snacks before then this is something I’d suggest giving a go. The flavor is pleasant, rich, and just a little bit spicy with an addictive umami quality. These are also fairly healthy little snacks. Each pouch has only 45 calories, 1 gram of net carbs, and only 2.5 grams of fat, so definitely better than chips.
