I Asked 6 Experts To Name the Best Tofu—They All Said the Same Thing

Tofu is nothing short of a staple in my household; you’ll always find it in my fridge. In fact, I start every day with a savory tofu scramble filled with veggies, nutritional yeast, turmeric, and garlic, and I’m not even vegan!

I just absolutely love the flavor and texture of tofu in this dish and many others, including stir fries, salads, soups, and even sandwiches. Baked or raw, the texture of this soy product is super satisfying, and its neutral flavor serves as the ultimate blank canvas for any flavor combination I’m craving.

While I usually just grab the cheapest brand I can find, my obsession with tofu led me to wonder what variety Asian chefs typically reach for on a regular basis. Surprisingly, they all cited the exact same brand!

The Food Pros I Asked

• Susan Choung: Recipe editor for Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, Prevention, and Woman’s Day
• Sonia Wong: Recipe developer, social media content creator for Food Network Canada, and content creator for saltnpepperhere, a food blog inspired by her Chinese roots
• Jessica Cha: Creator of Korean-inspired food blog Basic Sunday
• Alyse Whitney: Food writer and author of Big Dip Energy
• JinJoo Lee: Creator and recipe developer of Korean food blog Kimchimari
• James Park: Korean food content creator and author of Chili Crisp

The Best Tofu Brand, According to Asian Food Experts

“I do have a favorite. It’s a Korean brand called Pulmuone,” says Lee. The rest of this group of Korean and Chinese chefs all agree that Pulmuone is by far the best tofu. Perhaps that’s why, as Park notes, it’s “one of the biggest tofu brands in Korea, and it’s popular in America.”

These foodies reach for Pulmuone because of its high quality, variety of texture options, and short ingredients list. “It’s a reliable workhorse. I can get anything from ultra silky tofu for stews and soups all the way to extra firm for frying,” says Whitney. “When selecting tofu, I focus on the core ingredients—just soybeans and water with minimal additives,” Cha adds. “Plus, the organic tofu from Pulmuone is what I grew up eating.” 

This sought-after tofu is extraordinary in a range of delicious recipes. Lee braises it and adds it to salads and Korean vegetable side dishes. Park uses Pulmuone for mapo tofu, while Whitney even air fries her tofu to zhuzh up with sauces, spices, and aromatics for stir-fries, curries, and even dips.

Cha recommends Pulmuone for “kimchi stew, pan-fried tofu with soy dipping sauce, soon tofu (spicy tofu stew), dumplings, spicy braised tofu—honestly, any Korean dish that has a delicious sauce or flavor for the tofu to soak up,” she says.

Happily, this brand is an easy find at many Asian food markets. “There’s a whole section dedicated to different Pulmuone tofu products at H Mart,” Park adds. That’s where Choung gets here organic soft Pulmuone, and, for sure, it’s where I’ll be headed this weekend!