Fermented Bean Curd

This is a cheese-like form of bean curd preserved in wine, brine with rice or with chillies, and sold in glass jars at Asian speciality shops. It is used as a flavouring agent, especially with vegetables. A little adds zest to any vegetable dish. Once it begins to cook, it produces a fragrant odour that enriches the vegetables. It comes in several forms: the red fermented bean curd has been cured in a brine with red rice, the chilli version has flecks of crushed chilli peppers, and the ordinary one is plain. It can also be eaten as it is, with rice. Even after the jar is opened, it will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator when well sealed. There is no substitute for this unique ingredient.