    
Tofu
To make Tofu, Beans are soaked for up to 8 hours in water. Then they are ground in the water (making soy milk, basically), and the mixture is heated until it reaches 212 F (100 C). It is then let cool, at which point a mineral coagulant is added. The coagulant does for soy milk what rennet does for cheese, which is make it curdle. The mineral can be calcium sulfate, or magnesium chloride. The Chinese prefer the calcium sulfate (calcium salt), which they mine. The Japanese use magnesium chloride; it is contained in the mineral-rich liquid that remains after sea salt is extracted from sea water, which they call Nigari. It is this liquid that they use.
It takes about two hours for the curds to form. Then they are gathered, pressed to squeeze the whey out of them, and formed into blocks. (Silken Tofu, however, is not pressed.)
Tofu really has no taste on its own. Eating plain latex would give as much joy as eating Tofu straight out of the package. The genius of Tofu, however, is how it takes on the taste of what you cook it with.
Cooking Tips
Before using Tofu, drain it well. Place the Tofu on paper towel, then put some paper towel on top of it, and weigh that paper towel down with a plate. Let drain for about 15 minutes.
Substitutes
Ricotta cheese.
Nutrition
The different Tofus have quite different nutritional values.
- Firm Tofu: 120 calories, 13g protein, 3g carbohydrate, 6g fat, 9mg sodium, 120mg calcium, 8mg iron, 0 cholesterol
- Soft Tofu: 86 calories, 9g protein, 2g carbohydrate, 5g fat, 8mg sodium, 130mg calcium, 7mg iron, 0 cholesterol
- Silken Tofu: 72 calories, 9.6g protein, 3.2g carbohydrate, 2.4g fat, 30mg sodium, 40mg calcium, 1mg iron, 0 cholesterol
Equivalents
1 pound firm Tofu = 450g = 2 1/2 cups cubed or 2 cups crumbed or 1 3/4 cups puréed
1 pound soft Tofu = 450g = 1 3/4 cups puréed
Storage
Store Tofu refrigerated in water, changing the water daily. Fresh Tofu will keep for up to a week. You can also freeze Tofu for up to 3 months, but it will be chewier after it has been frozen.
Also called:  Bean Curd Tofu (French) Formaggio di soia (Italian) Queso de soja, Tofu (Spanish)
Other entries for Tofu
Firm Tofu, Koya Tofu, Nigari Tofu, Silken Tofu, Soft Tofu, Yuba
Other entries for Soybeans
Black Soybeans, Edamame, Soy Bran, Soy Milk, Tempe, Textured Vegetable Protein
Other entries for Beans
Adzuki Beans, Anasazi Beans, Apache Beans, Appaloosa Beans, Aramis Beans, Aunt Emma's Beans, Baccicia Beans, Baked Beans, Bayo Beans (Louisiana), Black Beans, Black Nightfall Beans, Bleu du Lac St-Jean Beans, Broad Beans, Brown Rice Beans, Bush Beans, Canary Beans, Chana Dal, Chickashaw Beans, Chickpeas, Chinese Long Bean, Cow-Itch Beans, Cowpeas, Cranberry Beans, Crochu de Savoie Beans, Dainagon Beans, Dolico Veneto Beans, Dragon Tongue Beans, Dry Beans, European Soldier Beans, Falcon Rice Beans, Flageolet Beans, Flor de Junio Beans, Flor de Mayo Beans, Fortin Family Beans, Fradinho Beans, French Fillet Beans, Garboncito Beans, Garrofo Beans, Good Mother Stallard Beans, Great Northern Beans, Green Beans, Green Flageolet Beans, Green Rice Beans, Hopi Black Pinto Beans, Jackson Wonder Beans, Kahnawake Mohawk Beans, Kunde Beans, Lablab Beans, Lima Beans, Lupini Beans, Madeira Beans, Magpie Beans, Mexican Bayo Beans, Moth Beans, Mung Beans, Navy Beans, Nodak Beans, Pebble Beans, Peruano Beans, Pigeon Peas, Pink Beans, Pinto Beans, Pole Beans, Rattlesnake Beans, Red Ball Beans, Red Kidney Beans, Red Nightfall Beans, Refugee Beans, Rice Beans (Asian), Rice Beans, Rio Zappe Beans, Romano Beans, Runner Beans, Sangre de Toros Beans, Sator Beans, Seluga Beans, Shelling Beans, Tarahumara Canario Beans, Tepary Beans, Tiger's Eye Beans, Tolosana Beans, Toscanelli Beans, Trout Beans, Tweed Wonder Beans, Vallarta Beans, Wax Beans, Wild Goose Beans, Winged Beans, Witkiem Beans, Zolfino Pratomagno Beans
Other entries for Legumes
Lentils, Peas
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