What Is Tofu And Is It Healthy?

Tofu is that wonderfully versatile and hugely misunderstood ingredient that comes from the humble soybean. The process of making it from scratch is somewhat similar to the making of cheese as it’s created by curdling fresh soy milk. So truly, it’s not as unappealing as it’s made out to be! 

In the western world, tofu is often pushed aside as something ‘that’s for vegans and vegetarians’, when in fact, it’s something that everyone can enjoy. It originated in China thousands of years ago and has been a popular ingredient in other East Asian countries for centuries. You might have come across some traditional tofu dishes such as Mapo Tofu, Agedashi Tofu, or Yu Shiang Tofu.

Despite all of its health benefits and versatility, tofu remains to be alike to marmite in the way that people either love it or hate it. But just because you didn’t like one tofu-based dish that doesn’t mean you won’t like them all. It comes in several forms: silken, soft, medium, firm, extra firm and super firm. Silken tofu has the highest water content whereas super firm has the least, making it the variety with the most solid texture. Silken tofu is the best option for blending into sauces and using in baking, and firm tofu is your best bet when looking for a meat substitute. 

Due to it being a relatively modern ingredient used in western cooking, there is still controversy regarding the nutritional side of tofu. Regardless, it’s known to be a great source of protein and calcium for vegans and vegetarians and is a good meat alternative with low saturated fat for anyone wanting to reduce their cholesterol levels.

As tofu is a processed product, it’s best consumed within moderation alongside a predominantly whole foods diet. 

There are many ways to cook tofu: bake it, fry it, braise it, or experiment however you want to. It’s used in a wide variety of dishes and cuisines from Korean Tofu Soup to Cauliflower Buffalo Wings, and it comes in many forms in the supermarket from smoked to in strips.

First of all, you must dry it by pressing the liquid out. You can do this with a tofu press or by wrapping the tofu in a paper towel and placing it underneath a flat, heavy object. You might find that some shops even sell pre-pressed tofu.

If you don’t get your desired outcome the first few times, you just have to keep at it - you’ll get there eventually. Tofu isn’t the easiest ingredient to cook with, but once you learn how to work with it, the possibilities are practically endless. It’s one of the best foods for adapting to whatever flavour you want it to take on, and because it comes in so many varieties, you can quite easily mimic animal products like steak and even halloumi cheese.

My top tip for preparing tofu is sprinkling it with cornstarch before cooking to give it a crispy texture. Also, like animal-based meat products, it always tastes best once it’s been marinating for a while.