Kremowe mapo tofu udon krok po kroku

What does “jedwabisty” mean in Polish?

Blending tofu for a creamy sauce, the cook reaches for the perfect word: «jedwabistego tofu» (“silken tofu”). Jedwabisty means “silky” or “silken,” smooth and soft to the touch or the tongue.

It comes straight from jedwab (“silk”), with the ending -isty that Polish uses for “having the quality of”: ognisty (“fiery,” from ogień, fire), wodnisty (“watery,” from woda). So jedwabisty is literally “silk-like.” Use it for hair, skin, a sauce, or, here, the smoothest tofu you can blend.