From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
Tofu (the Japanese
Romaji spelling), also known as
doufu (the Chinese
Pinyin
spelling often used in
Chinese recipes) or
bean curd (the literal translation), is a
food of
Chinese
origin,[1]
made by
coagulating
soy
milk, and then pressing the resulting curds into blocks. There are
many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu that has
been processed in some way. Tofu has very little flavor or smell on its
own, so it can be used either in savory or sweet dishes, and is often
seasoned or marinated to suit the dish.
The production of tofu from soy milk is similar to the production of
cheese
from milk (Fermentation),
although some tofu is made by processing non-soy products, such as
almonds or black beans. Two major byproducts of the process are tofu
skin and
soy pulp.
Tofu originated in ancient
China,[1]
but little else is known about the origins of tofu and its method of
production. The origin is the source of some speculation and legend, but
there is insufficient historical information to support such
speculations. Tofu and its production technique were subsequently
introduced into
Japan in
the
Nara period (late
eighth century) as well as other parts of
East
Asia. This spread likely coincided with the spread of
Buddhism as it is an important source of proteins in
the religion's vegetarian diet.[2]
Tofu is low in
calories,
contains beneficial amounts of
iron
(especially important for women of child bearing age) and has no
cholesterol. Depending on the coagulant used in manufacturing, the
tofu may also be high in
calcium
(important for bone development and maintenance), and
magnesium (especially important for athletes). Tofu contains soy
isoflavones, and the safety of consuming isoflavones is questioned.
