“Do you know what is tofu?” “Yes I know what is tofu. It is health food, right?” “Do you know what nutrients it has?” “It is good.”
“Do you know what is tofu??” “Yes I know what is tofu. It’s vegan diet, right?” “Do you know what is Tofu made of?” “Well…”
“Do you know what is tofu?” “Yes I know what is tofu. It’s from Japan. Tofu is totally a Japanese name!” “It is actually origin from China.” “Well… close enough!”
Tofu is no stranger to most of us. We may even have tried. However, do you exactly know what is tofu? Or in other word, how much do you know about tofu?
Tofu is made by soybean. Soak soybeans in water for hours. Then ground it and filter. Boil the liquid and that become soy milk. Back 2000 years ago in China, gypsum was accidentally poured into soy milk, soy milk then solidified and became tofu. What is tofu? Created by accident.
What is tofu good for? Tofu is one of the rare source of protein from vegetables. Therefore, if you have friends who happen to be vegans, most likely your friends are having tofu in their meals in daily basis. Tofu is also rich in calcium, magnesium and iron. These are hard to find in most vegetables. That makes tofu even more important in vegan diet. Beside began diet, what is tofu good for? Yes, this is the right question. It helps lowering cholesterol, also helps nerve, blood vessel and brain development. Therefore this is very good for youth development. Furthermore, the absorption rate of tofu is up to 95%, 2 blocks of tofu have enough calcium for human daily need. Having tofu may protect against a variety of health conditions like heart diseases and diabetes.
Since tofu has been around for 2000 years. There are a variety of dishes made by tofu. Some may make you rethink what is tofu, or even what is it?
Tofu are prepared in many ways: steam, boil, deep fry, smoked, dessert etc. As tofu has very light to no taste on its own, different ingredients and seasonings would be added into the dishes normally.
In vegan diet, there is tofu steak, a hardened tofu grilled or pan fried in size of steak. The steak has no taste and you may add seasonings you like. Enjoy it with your steak knife.
One of the most popular tofu dishes must be mapo tofu, pan fry the grounded meat, then add water, chili pepper power along with other seasonings. Spicy as it can be, this is one of the most well known Chinese cuisines in Japan.
Tofu is often added into soup such as miso soup and egg drop soup. That makes it a good additive into the soup.
Are you ready for the what is it tofu? According to China legend, a scholar cut unsold tofu into small cubes and put them into an earthen jar. The tofu turned greenish and became extremely smelly after several days when the jar was opened. The tofu was thought to taste extremely foul. However, the scholar was brave enough to taste and found it surprisingly delicious. He started to sell in his store and sticky tofu became a popular “special” cuisine. People are very divided regarding to this dish. They either love it a lot, or hate it a lot. Inventing tofu is an accident, inventing stinky tofu, is an accident out of an accident.
Let’s talk about something sweet. Tofu can make a good dessert. It is served warm or cold, with brown sugar (for warm serving) or syrup (for cold serving) added. With very smooth tofu, it makes a very nice enjoyment － tofu pudding.
Tofu is rich in nutrients, also it is safe to eat regardless of body condition. It makes tofu an ingredient with wide uses in dishes. Next time when you are asked what is tofu, you know what tofu is, not just by name.