Why do people eat tofu after getting out of prison in Korea?

Every country, society, and culture will view itself as the most ideal form of existence. Because of this worldview, people will sometimes encounter things in life that seem weird, whether its a peoples way of life, set of attitudes, or manner of problem solving.

When we run into different people and their different ways, we might think “Wow, why didn’t I think of that” or “Huh, that’s weird” or maybe we have intense feelings of shock and disorientation.

There was a weird moment like this in the k-drama series called Crash Landing on You. This show was a kind of fish-out-of-water story in which a wealthy South Korean CEO ,Yoon Se-Ri (Son Ye-Jin), has a paragliding mishap and accidently lands in North Korea and experiences the differences between the two countries.

But it was in the very first episode, that we noticed one peculiar oddity. The head of a conglomerate family was released from prison. Chairman Yoon Jeung-pyeong (Nam Kyung-Eup) of the Queens Group was arrested for committing a financial crime and had spent 283 days in jail.

After returning to his multi-million dollar home, he has dinner with his family. He’s sitting at the dinner table when his daughter-in-law sets a plate in front of him and says, “I made you tofu cake.” But, holy cow! Is that really cake?

A heaping pile of tofu sits in front of Chairman Yoon Jeung-pyeong

The plate looks like a few bricks of unprepared tofu, like she pulled the tofu out of the bulk packaging, didn’t even press the water out of it, and just plopped it onto a plate and called it cake. Weird, right?

She did, however, place a little ornament on the cake that read, “Congratulations on your release.” But what’s the deal with offering tofu after being released from prison?

Eating tofu after prison

Eating tofu after being released from prison is a long-standing tradition in South Korea. It probably seems like a strange custom for us now but there are practical and symbolic reasons for this ritual.

Malnutrition

Historically, prison food was not very nutritious and the portions were meager. When prisoners were finally released from prison they were often malnourished, underweight, and had digestive problems up the butt. Eating tofu helped remedy their hunger.

Who’s going to eat all that tofu? They made too much!

Tofu provided protein and nutrients. Its soft texture is easy to digest. The food was cheap and could easily be made at home, and it helped satisfy the empty stomachs of the newly free people.

Today, food scarcity is no longer a problem as it once was. Prisoners are now fed much better than their prisoner forefathers. Poor nutrition is less of a problem. Even so, people like to carry on the traditions of the past, and so here we are.

A clean slate

Another reason for eating tofu after prison is a symbolic act. Tofu is white, which many people associate with purity, cleanliness, and innocence.

Eating tofu after prison symbolizes starting over with a clean slate. It was a ceremonial gesture that said the person wouldn’t repeat the same mistakes that sent them to prison in the first place.

What is tofu?

If you’ve never had tofu before you’re probably wondering what it is. It’s creamy white texture might make you think its derived from cow nipples or something, but nope! It comes from soybeans.

Tofu is made from soybeans, water, and a curdling agent. First the soybeans are soaked to make soya milk. Then a curdling agent, or coagulant, such as salt, magnesium chloride, vinegar, or whatever, is added to separate the milk into curds and whey. The whey is strained out and you’re left with tofu.

There are people starving in this world. That tofu better not have gone to waste!

Tofu has been a dietary staple of Asian cuisine for hundreds of years. There’s even evidence of it being made in China around 1,200 years ago. It’s super cheap to make and has great nutritional value.

Does tofu taste good?

Tofu by itself tastes rather bland. This is probably why a lot of people hate tofu. It doesn’t contain any of the sugar, fat, and sodium that you find in typical American foods so people don’t really know what to make of it.

Because tofu tastes like nothing, you can marinate it to take on any flavor you wish. But you should pay attention to the texture. Tofu comes in a range of firmness. Some of the different kinds of tofu include:

• silken tofu
• soft tofu
• medium firm tofu
• extra-firm tofu
• super firm tofu

Depending on what type of dish you’re making, selecting the right firmness of tofu is key to making the dish taste right.

Extra Firm Tofu

Healthy protein that's great for grilling, stir frying and sautéing. Add it to your soup, noodles, and rice dishes.

Buy on Amazon

How do you prepare tofu?

Technically speaking, tofu is already prepared to eat. You could eat it right out of the packaging, like a rat, over the sink. But it doesn’t taste all that great by itself.

Pan Tofu

There are numerous ways to cook tofu in a pan but here’s the general idea:

1. Use the extra-firm tofu and a non-stick skillet or a cast iron pan.
2. Cut the tofu into cubes or sliced into steaks.
3. Cook on medium/medium-high.
4. Toss the tofu every few minutes until the sides are that golden brown color.
5. Turn heat down to low.
6. Add sauce to the tofu, like teriyaki or barbeque or whatever.
7. Shake pan to make sure the tofu is coated and has absorbed the sauce.
8. Add the tofu to your rice, steamed veggies, or just eat it as is.

Baked Tofu

Baking tofu can make it super crispy.

1. Cut extra-firm tofu into bite-sized pieces.
2. Marinate the tofu with soy sauce, paprika, chili paste, sesame oil, and so on.
3. As an option, you can coat the tofu with corn starch and chicken seasoning after marinating.
4. Place tofu on a baking sheet and parchment paper.
5. Bake at 400F for 10 minutes, flip, bake for another 10 minutes
6. Add the tofu to your rice, steamed veggies, or just eat it as is.

Fried Tofu

Air frying can also be used to prepare tofu.

1. Cut extra-firm tofu into bite-sized pieces.
2. Marinate the tofu as you wish, like sesame oil, soy sauce, paprika, and tumeric powder.
3. Add the tofu to the air fryer.
4. Cook at 180 degrees for 10 minutes.
5. Add the tofu to your rice, steamed veggies, or just eat it as is.

Ninja Air Fryer

Cooking tofu is fast and easy with an air fryer. Enjoy crispy tofu in minutes!

Buy on Amazon

Summary

Eating tofu after being released from prison is a tradition in South Korea that’s derived from malnutrition and a ceremonial way to make a fresh start.

Tofu is a clean, plant-based protein that you can add to other dishes. You can eat it plain but it does taste a kind of bland. Explore the different ways of preparing tofu to find what suits you best.