Tofu: The Budget-Friendly Superfood for Vegetarians

Tofu is a plant-based protein-rich food item that can be easily prepared at the household level with limited resources.

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Tofu contains high amounts of nutritional compounds such as protein, minerals, isoflavones, and essential fatty acids, which have potential health benefits. Tofu is prepared from the water extracts of the soybean seeds known as soymilk. Citric acid is used as a coagulating agent.

1. History

Soybean is one of the most important crops in the world. It contains many phytonutrients such as phytosterols and soy isoflavones which could reduce the low-density cholesterol and increase the glucose tolerance, consequently, leading to the prevention of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and type II diabetes (Hsieh et al. 2022). Tofu is believed to date from the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE). The first recorded mentions of bean curd (dough) are around 2,000 years old. Tofu entered Japan in 8th century AD, where Japanese tofu masters introduced nigari, a magnesium chloride compound sourced from seawater, as a coagulating agent. Tofu, also known as bean curd, is a plant-based food with great nutritional and health benefits.

It was first discovered by a Chinese cook about 2000 years ago and introduced in Japan in the 18th century. Today, tofu is a popular food in many countries, including Americas, Australia, Cambodia, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Tofu is one of the popular soy products in western countries due to its benefits for health. When the proteins in the soymilk are denatured at 90-95 °C for 5-10 min, the addition of the salt- or acid-type coagulants (such as calcium sulphate or glucono-5-lactone, GDL) would induce the formation of tofu gel.

1. Introduction