Cheap good tofu, where to buy

I've been eating LOTS of tofu. So this is important to me.

I found one great source - Chicago Food Corporation - that great Korean grocery store on Kimball & 90.

I buy 19oz of silken tofu for 99 cents. The brand name is House. It comes in a plastic tub with plastic film over it.

I have found that exact same tofu - say at the Japanese store in Elk Grove for $2. So maybe I have found the absolute best price.

I wonder if anybody else might match it. Frankly, I'm making quite a drive for tofu.

Nancy

If you truly are in Hanover Park, you might wanna check the prices at Mitsuwa or the little market just S of there past the bridge in the strip mall - Tensuke? I'm not familiar with the state of Asian grocers in/around Hanover Park -so that's just a suggestion to start. In my experience, the smaller grocers will be a few cents more than the joints with heavy traffic like Chicago food, or my personal favorite- the one just n of lawrence on Broadway, but I'd bet the savings in gas would more than make up for it. I'd bet that MItsuwa or the other joint would have a comparable item for you, but since they are fancier, they might cost a tad more. If you are taking 90 in, then it would be a much quicker trip for you. Both are only blocks away from 90 and Arl Hgts rd:

Mitsuwa:
100 E. Algonquin Road,
Arlington Hts., IL 60005
Mitsuwa

Tensuke:
3 S Arlington Heights Rd
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
Tensuke

If you've never been, both are pretty cool places to check out- Mitsuwa gets the edge for being much bigger, and brighter/ nicer, many more choices. Tensuke is better for getting in/out and not being sucked in to wandering around and buying $50.00 more than you planned to.

Tensuke is what I meant by the Asian place in Elk Grove - they sell that tofu for $1.50 - one and a half times as much for the exact same product.

Mitsuwa is a wonderful store - but NOT a place to go for bargains. Their House brand silken tofu is organic, and it's $2.

I just wish Food Harbor in Addison hadn't gone out of business....

Yeah, I'm in Hanover Park, and Caputo's is great for so many things, but not tofu. I guess I should try and see if any other Asian stores opened up around Addison.

The travel savings doesn't make up for that 50 cents?

It's 25 cents a day. I eat that much tofu. And I buy a case at a time....

Mostly I've managed to go there when I'm already doing something in the city. Once I went just for tofu. Now I need more Korean red chili paste anyway....

Hunt around for Asian grocers in the area, maybe you find a better price - maybe you can strike up a deal with one of 'em for buying a case at a time.

You have in fact, found the best price-point for tofu. Quite often the 19oz House or Pulmuone brands on sale can be found for $.99 at either Joong Bo (Chicago Food) or Super H-mart. Mitsuwa and Tensuke often sell the smaller (14oz?) size for $1.50 - $2.50 each.

I have found the House and Pulmuone brands are the least likely to spoil and last the longest in the fridge (months till expiration). IMHO tofu purchased in Chinatown has more often than not been found to be soured already and/or doesn't last in the fridge greater than a few days - the exception being some fried tofus.

$.99 used to be pretty regular, but when soybean prices spiked, so did the cost of tofu. You'll also note that the firm and med-firm grades tend to have higher protein counts per serving than soft or silken (which is essentially more "watered down" tofu) - akin to the "light" orange juice or "light airy" yogurt being shilled to consumers these days with less calories.

Now that I've moved, I'm subject to tofu priced at $2.50/lb and up; It's a travesty considering even firm tofu is chock full of water. Try dicing a block into cubes then leaving it on the cutting board - you'll find a ton of water. Or better yet, freeze said tofu then defrost - all water. I am not paying for tofu by the pound. I HAVE found one place that only sells med-firm CA manufactured tofu for 1.28/16oz. A big sigh from another massive tofu eater.