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Learn how to make fermented tofu, also called “Chao,” from scratch! This 4-ingredient condiment is cheesy and tangy and can be used to add plenty of flavor to soups, marinades, dipping sauces, and more!
Since discovering fermented tofu, I have been using it a lot. Whether it is in soups, marinades, or as a dipping sauce, it can be used in many dishes to add extra flavor, umami, and some cheesiness.
The thing is, fermented tofu is not that easy to find, and let’s be honest, I wanted to learn how to make my own. Here is a guide on how to make fermented tofu (also called Chao) from scratch!
📘 What Is Chao?
Chao (which is its Vietnamese name) is tofu that is fermented for at least 1 month in a brine that consists of water, salt, and usually rice wine. According to some books, the technique of making fermented tofu appeared in 200 BC in China.
It is quite salty, sometimes spicy, and has a very soft texture, almost like a paste that you could compare to blue cheese. When Chao is fermented for a long time, it takes a strong flavor, which reminds me of a strong camembert.
What’s great about chao is that it keeps for months, if not years, in its brine!
🥣 How to Make It
Making chao is easy but requires some patience!
Before starting: As with most fermented recipes, taking care of hygiene is critical to the success of the fermentation process. So I recommend using gloves while handling the tofu to prevent bad bacteria.
Preparing the tofu
It starts with the tofu that is boiled for a couple of minutes in salted water. This step not only helps kill some bacteria but also helps the tofu drain more water.
Next, you want to place your tofu on several sheets of kitchen paper towel, cover it with more paper towels, and place a weight on it to press it and remove excess water. I usually use a large iron skillet that is quite heavy. Leave your tofu like this for about 1 and a half hours, and change the paper towel as needed if it becomes too wet.
Fermentation
Next, cut your tofu into 1-inch cubes. Place them on a plate lined with a kitchen paper towel, then place another piece of paper towel on top and cover the whole plate with plastic film.
Now you want to let the tofu ferment for about 2 days at 77-86°F (25-30° Celcius). So as you can guess, this recipe works best in the summer, but it can also be done during winter if you have a warm spot in your house.
After 2-3 days, the tofu should be slightly orange and a bit stinky (see photo below). It may have some white mold as well; that’s okay. If you see black or blue mold, just scrape it off. A quick tip: if the tofu is not stinky enough when you put it in the brine, you will end up with a mild chao. If it is already stinky, your chao will be stronger.
The hardest part is now done!
Adding to the Brine
The tofu now contains some natural cultures and molds that will work during the fermentation process.
To prevent the tofu from going bad, we need a brine. It consists of boiled water mixed with salt, sugar, and rice wine (or vodka). Place the tofu cubes in glass jars and cover with the brine.
Optionally, you can dip each tofu cube in chili flakes. It makes the chao more flavorful and gives it an appealing orange color. If you plan on using chao to make cheeses, simply omit the chili.
Once your jars are filled, secure them with a lid and place them in a dark place at around 68°F (20°C) for at least 3 weeks.
The longer you let it age, the stronger and softer it becomes. I found that after 6 weeks, the tofu was already creamy and had a nice cheese flavor.
💬 FAQ
I would not recommend it. It helps with the preservation of the tofu.
No, you shouldn’t have any black mold. If that is the case, start again and make sure all of your tools and plates are clean. Use very clean hands while handling the tofu, or handle it with clean chopsticks.
You can keep chao in your refrigerator for up to a year. I personally had a jar that I kept for over a year, and the chao was still perfectly good!
🥢 How to Use It
Chao can be used in a handful of ways:
- Dipping sauces: Mash a cube of chao and mix it with some lime juice, sugar, chili, and a little bit of water to dilute. The sauce can then be used as a dipping sauce for steamed veggies.
- Vegan cheeses: Since chao is packed with umami and cheesiness, it’s perfect to add flavor to your vegan cheeses! Add half of a cube to vegan camembert or smoked cheese when blending the cashews for a deeper flavor!
- On top of rice: Add some chao on top of steamed white rice and slightly mash it using chopsticks. Chao will add saltiness and cheesiness!
- Stirred into soups: Perfect to take your soups to the next level, you can use it in place of miso.
- Marinades: Combined with soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil, this fermented tofu can be used as a base for marinades.
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How to Make Fermented Tofu (Chao)
Ingredients
- 1 pound firm tofu cut in half
- 4 cups water
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/4 cup chili flakes optional
Brine
- 1 and 1/2 cup water
- 3 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup vodka (or 1/2 cup rice wine)
Instructions
- Before starting: I recommend using gloves when handling the tofu to prevent bad bacteria and mold from growing.
- Bring 4 cups of water with one tablespoon of salt to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Once boiling, add the tofu and boil for 4 minutes.
- Remove the tofu from the water and place it on a few sheets of kitchen paper towel. Top with more kitchen paper towel and place a heavy weight on it to press the tofu and remove excess water. I usually use an iron skillet. Let it drain for about 90 minutes, changing the paper towel as needed if it becomes too wet.
- Line a large plate with two layers of kitchen paper towel or a clean towel. Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes and place the cubes on the plate, leaving about 1 inch between each cube, so they don't touch each other. Top with another sheet of kitchen paper towel and cover the whole plate with plastic film. The plastic film will prevent bad bacteria from reaching the tofu.
- Place the plate in a dark place at 77-86°F (25-30°C) and let it ferment for 2 to 3 days. The tofu will have taken a light orange color and will have a stinky smell. You may also see some white mold as well; this is okay. If you see blue or dark mold, scrape it off.
- Prepare the brine: combine 1 and 1/2 cups of water with the salt and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Once boiling, remove from heat and let it cool completely. Add the vodka and stir to combine.
- Transfer the stinky tofu to clean glass jars. If you want to make it spicy, dip each tofu cube in chili flakes before putting it in the jars. Pour the brine into the jars to cover the tofu. Close the jars with a lid and place them in a cool dark place (around 68°F – 20°C) for at least 3 weeks. The longer you let it ages, the stronger and softer your tofu will be.
- For extra flavor, you can add about 1/2 tsp of sesame oil into each jar after the 3 weeks have passed.
- Use this fermented tofu to make dipping sauces, top rice, add to vegan cheeses, and use in marinades, soups, etc.
Notes
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
Leave a Comment
Hi I will definitely try this! What kind of sugar am I use, the refined white or is brown sugar alright? Thank you. And how about the salt, is regular table sea salt from the market alright? Thank you very much for this recipe, I am excited to try this! It’s my first time to make fermented tofu.
Hi Lourdes,
I have never tried with brown sugar but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Yes, regular table salt works great!
I wish you success with this recipe 🙂
I made a batch last month according to the recipe and it worked perfectly. I tasted it 3 weeks after brining as recommended, and it tasted exactly like the store-bought product.
I do not have vodka, so I used a brandy that is 30 ABV as a substitute, and that worked fine.
As per the recipe, I used chili flakes, but strange to relate, all the flakes seemingly disappeared after brining. The spiciness still remains though so all is good.
Thank you very much for introducing this excellent recipe.
I’m so glad to hear you had success with this recipe, Adrian!
Thanks for your feedback and rating, I really appreciate it 🙂
I have made this. I got the desired orange hue to the tofu and there is no unwanted black mold. However, my brine has turned cloudy, as if the tofu has degraded. I opened the jar and it smells great. The tofu is very soft and does look as if it’s degraded somewhat. I did taste a bit and it tastes great. Your brine is clear and beautiful. What might have I done wrong? Thank You!
My guess is that your tofu was softer than the one I used, hence it disintegrate and made the brine cloudy. I would recommend trying with another brand of tofu.
Hello! I am ready to brine the tofu. It is orangish and stinky. No black molds.. But it is rather slimy to the touch. Is this ok? Also, is iodized salt ok and regular drinking water rather than distilled. When I make cheese (non-vegan), I know we have to use non-iodized salt and distilled water. Just checking if this is the same. Thank You!
Hello,
I’m sorry for the late reply! Yes, the tofu is supposed to be orange and quite slimy, that is totally normal.
You can use boiled water that you let cool down to prevent bad bacteria, but even if regular water it shouldn’t be a problem due to the high salt concentration.
What are the recommended ways to get a location for the tofu at 77-86 fahrenheit for 2-3 days if it’s winter or you don’t have a warm spot in the house?
Well, if it’s Winter then it’s a bit harder to make, but you should most probably have a warm place where you can put the tofu. For example near an electric heater or radiator.
Hi! I’ve made this once, and it turned out perfect. I just finished my second batch, and I have a question. There’s no mold, dark or white, but there are a few slimy spots. I scraped them off. Just wondering if that’s OK. Thanks 🙏
Hi!
I’ve made this once and it turned out perfect. I just finished my second batch and I have a question. There’s no dark mold but the tofu does have a few slimy spots. Is that OK? I love fermented tofu I eat it every day 🙏
Hi David,
Slimy spots can happen, actually the orange mold that grows is usually a bit slimy.
Do you scrape off the white mold or just leave it before seasoning and putting in jars?
Scrape it off.
Hi Thomas,
I made this on Friday night and had to leave it up to total 64 hours with temperature surrounding 72.5 F (22.5 C) because when it has passed 48 hrs mark I could not see orange specks although aroma of the tofu is already cheesy. However, I checked after 64 hrs and tofu was extra slimy, still smelled clean and cheesy. But instead of orange specks more like smudged pinkish, grey-ish, with orange tinge. Texture is soft like cream cheese when I poked with chop sticks. But I read some of your replies on comments regarding the colour to expect so I threw it in the garbage *sad*. Is it normal for the kitchen towel to be soaking wet? Should it be replaced say after 24 hours? I also I placed the covered plate inside a big pan with glass lid on that has a hole, and inside a cupboard just to make the environment warmer. Could this be the issues?
Hi Maple,
The kitchen paper towels should not be wet. So I recommend replacing them if that’s the case.
I also believe keeping it inside another pan may have kept more humidity than needed, which may have allowed different mold to grow.
A few spots of white or light grey mold is okay, just scrape it off. However pink or black mold is not good. Hope you will have success next time!
Hi Thomas
Could I use dark rice wine or only the white one to make the Chao? I’m looking forward to making the cheese.
Hi Jaslyn,
I guess dark rice wine might work as well but I haven’t tried it so I cannot say for sure.
Will it still turn out if you didn’t boil tofu first? It looks like the color and very gooey.
I’m not sure to understand your question Sarah.
Hello
I want to ask you about the microbiological fermentation cultural in making tofu
Do you start with the mold strain Antinnormucor elegan? or other?
IF you know about starter mold for fermented tofu and where it to buy . Please, talk and share with me
thank you
Hello Nhon,
As you can see in the recipe, I do not use any mold or starter.
Hi! I looked through comments to check if someone had already asked – can I clarify you mean rice wine like shaoxing Chinese rice wine? Is there another kind you recommend? Not rice wine vinegar correct?
Thank you!
Hi Julia,
No, not Shaoxing wine (this one is salty and used for cooking). I mean regular rice wine or vodka. Basically, any neutral alcohol.
Hi, it’s Ellie again with another question. The fermenting seemed to go well, but there were lots of spongy-looking light brown areas in addition to the orange mold and a few spots of dark mold that I removed. The smell was right. Do you know what the spongy-looking areas are? Is it another kind of mold? Do you think it will be okay?
You should get some orange spots, a few white spots of molds, and it’s possible that very small spots of black mold appear (which needs to be removed).
But to be honest, I am not sure what is that spongy-looking mold you have. Black mold is usually not good.
Dear Thomas, thank you for all the great recipes. As I was reading all of the comments on fermenting of tofu there was a few things missing that I remind all new fermenters to keep in mind and practice. I learned a lot from a friend of mine who has been making goat cheeses for years. She knows all of the different Bacterias by name. I have been fermenting all types of veggies for years and what I learned is that the salty brine in meant to kill and protect the veggies unwanted bacteria. I think the most important factors are for success is to keep things clean possible, make sure your veggie is totally submerged below the brine throughout the fermenting process (if you use canning jars to do the ferment you can buy glass weights to wait your veggies down so they stay below the liquid level), also the fermentation process creates gases that need to escape without letting into jar any outside air, perfect temp is around 68°during the process and it is best to keep them in the dark while fermenting. I tell all my friends about your website, thank you again for all the great work you do.
You’re welcome Kit!
Yes, you are right, all tools and equipment used must be super clean to prevent bad mold from growing.
Hi Thomas, thanks for all the great recipes 🙂
Today I came to your blog in the hope that I would find a recipe on how to make ‘hairy tofu’. If I’m trying any new fermentations, I first check if you have a recipe. After that, I tried searching the web, but I was also left empty-handed. Since this seems like a thing that is right up your ally (it is fermented, it is tofu, it is cheese-like), I thought why not give you a shout 🙂
Have you already had some experience in making it, and do you maybe plan to make a recipe about it?
Sorry for highjacking this recipe, but I did not know what is a proper way to ask, hope you don’t mind
Hi Nikola,
You are welcome! I tried stinky tofu before, but it’s the first time I hear about hairy tofu, it looks interesting! 🙂
I will definitely look into it. It seems the mold comes from straw, so maybe you should look into natto mold, although I am not sure if it is the same mold yet.
Thanks, I will keep digging 🙂
I found something 😀
https://www.reddit.com/r/fermentation/comments/v8i4ww/comment/ibsghpo/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
it is mucor powder
it is hard to come by, but I found this store (DISCLAIMER: I don’t know if it is legit yet):
https://www.ebuy7.com/item/542104441793
I used this recipe as a base for making Chinese red bean curd, which goes for $12.99 for a 9oz jar online; it is used for making barbecue marinades for things like Char Siu and Chinese spare ribs.
For those who follow this recipe and get bad results, keep in mind not all tofu are created equal. I used good quality organic, and got the correct results on the first try. Most cheap tofu are not meant for fermenting, in my opinion.
Another note -fermented tofu gives off ammonia compounds, hence the strong smell of ammonia. Those that claim their finished tofu smell of rotten eggs or dirty socks…you need to wonder. Cheers !
Thanks for sharing Charlie!
And thank you, Thomas ! I’m off to save a lot of money thanks to you.
After boiling in salt water and pressing the tofu I let it sit covered but it got very dry and hard around the edges and didn’t grow mold after 2 days. Is it supposed to get so hard? I’m not sure what I did wrong.
No it’s not supposed to turn hard or dry. I would recommend trying with a softer tofu, or pressing it for a shorter amount of time.
I am interested in making this but adding some red yeast rice powder. Have you done this? How much should I add?
I have never tried adding using yeast, why would you want to do that?
It works very well without the addition of any yeast or cultures.
Hi Thomas.
I love your recipes. I’ve made a few of the vegan cheeses, and they have been great.
I’m having trouble with making chao. The tofu cubes do not go moldy; they only dry out. The tofu become hard, brown cubes. I’ve tried two different types, and firmness of tofu.
Any suggestions?
Thank you!
Hi Marion,
Thanks for your feedback!
Have you tried using medium tofu? Medium tofu has enough moisture to prevent it from drying completely. Also, try placing the tofu in a warmer room, it should help with mold growth.
Thank you so much for your help and wonderful recipes.
You’re welcome Kathryn!
Hi Thomas
If I half this recipe and I use rice wine how much do I need I am in UK and don’t do cups and as the amount doesn’t change if I go to metric I’m not sure the amount I need to use any help would be appreciated
Hi Kathryn,
If making half, you would use 60ml of rice wine.
Can you tell me how many millilitres is half cup please?
120ml.
Hi Thomas, first I would like to thank you for sharing your recipes. The sauces are the most amazing sauces and I make many of them already. I have also been making your miso with chick peas, and I tried the fermented tofu. But, is it really supposed to smell bad?? After a couple of weeks, it was so awful I threw it away! I think I may need to buy some ready made fermented tofu first, to get a “feel” for what it should be like. My friend, Helen, is addicted to your chick pea miso, and has now started to make her own supply! thanks again, hope you are safe and well in these difficult times, Gay
Hi Gay,
Thank you so much! 🙂
Regarding the fermented tofu, it shouldn’t smell bad at all. It should have a cheesy smell/flavor. Yes, buy a jar so you can compare and make sure yours is not turning bad.
I’m glad your friend likes the chickpea miso, it takes a long time to be ready, but it’s definitely worth it!
I’ve tried three times to make this and each time my tofu has gone mouldy. I have been very careful about hygiene but the last time I tried to do it it ended up covered in a fluffy grey mould, like a dandelion seed head. Unfortunately I don’t seem to be able to attach a photo here. Where am I going wrong.
It’s very hard to say what is going wrong…Do you keep the tofu cubes on a plate lined with a kitchen paper towel, topped with more towel and wrapped in plastic film?
Maybe try another brand of tofu as well.
Hello, I really enjoyed following this recipe’s method, but I found at the other end that I had more of a creamy tofu mess than the clear(ish) red liquid you see to have. I’ve just bought some Chao for the first time so I know what it’s supposed to be like, but do you have any idea where I might have gone wrong?
All the best.
Lily
Hi,
Did you stir it regularly? Were the tofu cubes packed tightly? These could be the reason you didn’t get a “clear” liquid. If you stir it or pack it too much the tofu will slightly disintegrate and make the liquid more cloudy.
Hi, thank you for this recipe, and for answering questions in the comments. How important do you think it is to have the right temperature for the second fermentation stage, when you want it to be cool? Is it going to fail miserably if the ambient temperature is 80F?
Hi Ellie,
The second fermentation stage, in the brine, is not that important. 80°F is totally okay. This recipe is Vietnamese-inspired, and it is much warmer there, yet they keep the jars at room temperature, so don’t worry too much about it.
That’s great! Thank you. I’ll let you know how it goes.
It worked! The house probably varied between 70 and 95 deg F during the three weeks it was fermenting, and it seems to have worked fine, and it tastes recognizably like ferment tofu (I’m more familiar with the Chinese version than chao). My only complaint is that it actually tastes a little bit like vodka. I halved the recipe but used a jar with extra room, meaning the cubes are kind of swimming in the brine. Maybe that was the problem?
I like it but my boyfriend hated it–we can both taste the vodka taste but I don’t mind it as much. Next time I might try using rice wine.
Awesome!! Regarding the vodka, I’m surprised as I cannot taste it at all. Once fermented, the “stinky” smell and flavor completely covers it usually. Maybe try a different brand of vodka, or another alcohol like rice wine as you said. Well, Chao definitely has an acquired taste and it’s not everyone’s cup of tea 🙂
Hi Thomas, I’m making this again. I hope it works as well as last time. I want to use a different alcohol this time. What kind of rice wine would I be looking for — the low ABV cooking wine or higher ABV sake? I’m having trouble finding kosher-certified cooking rice wine, so I may try vodka again. Do you think it would work if I used less vodka, e.g. 1/8 cup instead of 1/4 cup?
Thanks again for the recipe and your generous advice!
Hi Ellie,
I have never tried reducing the amount of vodka so I cannot tell for sure, but the brine is already pretty salted so I am guessing it would still work.
Regarding the rice wine, I would recommend a higher ABV sake.
Hi, I made this event though I had no idea what to expect. I tried it today for the first time and it has blown my mind! It reminded me a little of feta cheese (my husband – non vegan, disagrees!)
I sprinkled it on my salad for lunch- amazing!
I am now wondering if I can use other ingredients in the jar to give it other flavours?, the chilly is very prevalent but just right.
Is there anything else you would recommend I can add?
Thank you so much, for the first time I can say tofu had flavour!
Hi Eleonora,
Thanks for your feedback! To be honest, Chao is not usually flavored with anything else. However, I believe adding some smoked paprika would make a nice addition to the cheesy flavor.
Thanks for the recipe and guide!
In the first fermentation, where do the microorganisms to do the fermenting come from? If you’re very careful with your technique, the boiling ought to kill anything that’s in the tofu and then it’s all sealed up in paper towels and plastic wrap.
Are we counting on a few bacteria and mould spores that fall in while we’re processing it? Or maybe bacteria and spores from the paper towels?
Sorry for the geek question. I have a microbiology background!
Thanks!
Hi Andy,
I would not say it’s completely sealed, there is still air inside. I do not have a microbiology background, so I can’t answer your question in depth, but I can say that it works 🙂
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I am so sad, my first attempt at making chao was a failure. I have made many vegan mac and cheese recipes, but I am still looking for that real cheese taste, so I really wanted to try this. I was extremely careful to follow the recipe and touched the tofu only with clean gloves. After 2 days my tofu still looked and tasted the same. After a third day both plates were covered with lots of white mold, but no yellow/orange color and no odors, so I through them out, . Perhaps it is because the weather turned. It went from very warm (80+ degrees Fahrenheit to around 70). I will try it again when the weather warms up.
On the bright side, my local Vietnamese market had 5 different brands of fermented tofu and each brand has a variety of types. I bought one that is most similar to the ingredients you use in your brine. Fortunately, we have a lot of ethnic markets in the Seattle area.
Sorry to hear that Therese!
I also had a couple of batches go wrong, don’t give up! Yes, it could be the temperature, warmer is better. Although it’s hard to say exactly what went wrong.
Wow, 5 brands of chao, you are lucky! 🙂 I would definitely recommend getting the Vietnamese brands, I find Chinese ones not as good to be honest.