16 min
#2: A Day at the Tofu Factory Shifting Subjects
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- Documentary
Camly started making tofu by hand 30 years ago. Soon after arriving in Australia, she noticed many Asian grocers in her area weren’t offering Vietnamese-style tofu (the kind that gets its uniquely soft texture from being hand-pressed). In this episode we spend a day at the tofu factory she has built and learn the processes involved in making tofu, all of which is still made by hand.
Download a copy of the transcript here:
Credits
Written, cut and hosted by Lisa DivissiSupervising production and mixing by Jon TjhiaFact checking by Mell ChunTheme music by Marcus WhaleAdditional music, including original compositions by AnSoPublished by Leah Jing McIntoshExecutive production by Lisa Divissi
Special thanks this episode to Aivy and Vyan Ostojic, Camly Le and everyone at Duc Nga Tofu.
Shifting Subjects is a LIMINAL podcast and a proud member of the Broadwave podcast network. It is supported by City of Melbourne Arts Grants and Creative Victoria.
Links and further reading, listening and watching…
Podcasts:
* Bad Taste hosted by Jess Ho traces the evolution of the Australian palate and asks, ‘Who gets to decide what good food is?’. I particularly enjoyed the episode on East African Lasagne led by Beź Zewdie and the one immediately after on how much bánh mì should cost
* The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry hosted by Lee Tran Lam features interviews with various chefs, critics, bar staff and other people from the food world about their dining habits, war stories and favourite places to eat and drink in Sydney
* Lee Tran also hosts the Culinary Archive Podcast and episode six is on SOYBEANS! Keep that tofu train going!!
Film and TV:
* You may be interested to know that a Sesame Street video inspired the concept for this episode
Reading:
* Another recommendation for food writer Jess Ho. I devoured their memoir Raised By Wolves in like 3 days (that’s fast for me). I recommend this if you ever had a particular fascination with Melbourne’s late 2000s restaurant boom and hospo industry. It’s such a good peek behind the curtain, told with sincerity, clarity and wit.
* Vale Ryuichi Sakamoto. Here’s an interview I’m including for the following quote:‘[Haruomi Hosono’s] expression about this old musician was, “This old guy plays the bass like cutting tofu.” You must be very gentle cutting tofu, otherwise you can damage it, break it. I love that expression, and I want to be like that. I should be like that at 80.’ Same.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shiftingsubjects.substack.com
Camly started making tofu by hand 30 years ago. Soon after arriving in Australia, she noticed many Asian grocers in her area weren’t offering Vietnamese-style tofu (the kind that gets its uniquely soft texture from being hand-pressed). In this episode we spend a day at the tofu factory she has built and learn the processes involved in making tofu, all of which is still made by hand.
Download a copy of the transcript here:
Credits
Written, cut and hosted by Lisa DivissiSupervising production and mixing by Jon TjhiaFact checking by Mell ChunTheme music by Marcus WhaleAdditional music, including original compositions by AnSoPublished by Leah Jing McIntoshExecutive production by Lisa Divissi
Special thanks this episode to Aivy and Vyan Ostojic, Camly Le and everyone at Duc Nga Tofu.
Shifting Subjects is a LIMINAL podcast and a proud member of the Broadwave podcast network. It is supported by City of Melbourne Arts Grants and Creative Victoria.
Links and further reading, listening and watching…
Podcasts:
* Bad Taste hosted by Jess Ho traces the evolution of the Australian palate and asks, ‘Who gets to decide what good food is?’. I particularly enjoyed the episode on East African Lasagne led by Beź Zewdie and the one immediately after on how much bánh mì should cost
* The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry hosted by Lee Tran Lam features interviews with various chefs, critics, bar staff and other people from the food world about their dining habits, war stories and favourite places to eat and drink in Sydney
* Lee Tran also hosts the Culinary Archive Podcast and episode six is on SOYBEANS! Keep that tofu train going!!
Film and TV:
* You may be interested to know that a Sesame Street video inspired the concept for this episode
Reading:
* Another recommendation for food writer Jess Ho. I devoured their memoir Raised By Wolves in like 3 days (that’s fast for me). I recommend this if you ever had a particular fascination with Melbourne’s late 2000s restaurant boom and hospo industry. It’s such a good peek behind the curtain, told with sincerity, clarity and wit.
* Vale Ryuichi Sakamoto. Here’s an interview I’m including for the following quote:‘[Haruomi Hosono’s] expression about this old musician was, “This old guy plays the bass like cutting tofu.” You must be very gentle cutting tofu, otherwise you can damage it, break it. I love that expression, and I want to be like that. I should be like that at 80.’ Same.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shiftingsubjects.substack.com
16 min