This special ingredient is an all-natural, nutrient-rich, gluten-free, vegan plant-based item that boasts 45% protein. Image: Tofu Tasty

Prompted by a successful appearance on British television, Tofu Tasty is bringing dried tofu knots exclusively to Waitrose this July.

When Bonnie Chung appeared on Ch 4’s Sunday Brunch in January of this year, she showcased a dish made using dried tofu knots – this led to a 900% increase in searches for this type of tofu on Google.

Social media was awash with requests on how to get hold of this ingredient and as a result Asian food expert and cookbook author Bonnie decided to launch a sister brand to her award-winning company Miso Tasty.

Dried Tofu is a relatively unknown ingredient in the UK. It is considered a delicacy in China and Japan but Tofu Tasty’s launch will be the first time dried tofu has been made available in UK supermarkets.

This special ingredient is an all-natural, nutrient-rich, gluten-free, vegan plant-based item that boasts 45% protein, higher than any fresh meat. The knots are made purely from soybeans and water.

Tofu knots are made from the top layer of soy milk that has been dried and hand-twisted into various shapes – somewhat similar to pasta but with a whopping 45% protein. This dried tofu has a more intense flavour than fresh tofu – creamier and more savoury – the knots are chewy and flaky and great for those who want some bite from tofu.

The new tofu knots are aimed at passionate and experimental foodies, vegans and vegetarians, or those just wanting to reduce the amount of meat in their diet but in a healthy, natural way.

Tofu knots can replace meat or fish in a stir-fry, as well as act as a base instead of pasta. Their high protein and texture means it’s also much more satisfying than jackfruit or cauliflower steak as a centre-plate vegetarian meal. The signature way to enjoy it is to crisp them up and coat them with a tasty sauce.

Bonnie recently published the best-selling cookbook Tofu Tasty which features 60 versatile recipes to rethink and challenge how to use tofu in everyday cooking.

In line with the book, Bonnie has devised a number of new, imaginative recipes to accompany the launch of the tofu knots to showcase how versatile dried tofu can be cooked: from crispy fried knots in a sweet and spicy Korean sauce; to a comforting cheesy traybake; stir-fried in a sweet garlic soy sauce and braising them to top a simple noodle soup for added texture.