Overview

Tofu is quite often referred to as the versatile food made from the miracle bean. Throughout East Asia tofu has been the most popular way to serve soybeans.

Tofu, also known as soybean curd, is a soft cheese-like food that comes from coagulated protein in soymilk. In the Orient, the art of tofu making requires special beans and special care. The ancient Chinese method begins with washing, soaking, and grinding soybeans in water. The resulting mix is filtered to make soymilk that is heated. A coagulant, such as salt, turns the soymilk into curds that when pressed release the whey from tofu.

The firmness of tofu changes depending on the amount of water to soybean ratio, the type and amount of coagulants, and the amount of whey removed. Firm tofu results from breaking and pressing most of the whey from the curds. The softer, silken tofu results from coagulating the soymilk directly in the packaging and not removing any whey.

The most important thing to remember about tofu is that it is a versatile food that will readily absorb any flavour or seasonings it is cooked with! It can be cooked quite simply by cubing and browning in Peanut oil and then combining it with Asian greens in a stir-fry!

The great thing about plain tofu is that is comes in various different densities, therefore has multiple uses in the kitchen…from a meat alternative to being used in place of sour cream!

Click on the links below to learn more about cooking with firm tofu and cooking with silken tofu. Try some of the recipes on offer! You will be amazed by what you can create in the kitchen using tofu!