Tofu has almost no flavour of its own. That's not a defect, it's the whole point — it's a carrier. But a carrier only carries what you actually give it.
Water is the problem
A block of firm tofu is mostly water, and that water is occupying the space marinade needs. Press it first, 15 minutes under something heavy, and you make room. This is the same reason Greek Tofu Salad tells you to press or freeze before the marinade rather than after — water still in the block is marinade that never gets in.
Time is the other problem
Most recipes say thirty minutes. Most recipes are being polite.
Ours are more honest about it. Tofu Tikka Masala asks for an hour minimum and says outright that all day or overnight is better. Marry Me Tofu goes further — ideally 24 hours, at minimum one. Tofu Butter Chicken suggests a day or two.
Twenty minutes seasons the surface. Overnight seasons the block.
Season harder than feels right
Tofu dilutes. A marinade that tastes correctly seasoned on a spoon will taste underseasoned once it's spread through 400g of bland protein. Ours lean on soy sauce, miso, nutritional yeast and acid for that reason — concentrated, salty, savoury things rather than delicate ones.
Get the marinade into the middle
Surface area decides how much marinade actually makes contact.
- Tear instead of cube. Ragged edges hold more than smooth faces. Marry Me Tofu tears by hand deliberately.
- Score it. Hasselback Teriyaki Tofu cuts fans into the block and brushes marinade into each slit — because poured over the outside, it never reaches the gaps.
- Grate it. Tofu Gyros Wrap shreds it with a peeler, which is nearly all surface.
Freezing, if you have the time
Freeze and thaw before marinating and the texture opens up — spongier and markedly more absorbent. It's the single biggest change you can make to how much flavour a block takes on.