Some people believe that bean curd (tofu) is just bland health food, but great cooks and gourmets can attest that the blandness is what makes bean curd a great cooking ingredient. The beauty of bean curd is that it absorbs the flavours of accompanying ingredients. But this creates the challenge of letting other ingredients flavour the bean curd while maintaining its original taste. This makes it one of the best tests of a chef's skill: the ability to take a subtle-tasting ingredient and turn it into a savoury dish. And this is why Chinese people love bean curd dishes.

The challenge of bean curd is not only in its taste, but also in its texture. Bean curd can have a firm texture that holds its shape after cooking, a soft texture like custard or somewhere in between. The best cooks know which texture to use to achieve the best dishes.