What you should know about tofu
For some, tofu is the epitome of a healthy, vegan diet, for others it is a good example of why they don't want to do without meat. The fact is: everyone has an opinion on tofu. But what's in it? Tofu consists of white soybean batter, which arises when soy milk goes through various biochemical processes.
This process is similar to the process in the production of cheese, only that soy or soybeans are processed instead of milk. Here too, natural coagulants are added to create a whey, which is then filtered and finally pressed into blocks. Therefore, before the word "tofu" came into fashion in this country, it was called Bean curd or bean cheese.
By the way: tofu is not to be confused with tempeh. Whilst tofu is made from curdled soy milk, whole soybeans are fermented for tempeh. In contrast to tofu, this firm cake has a subtle, somewhat bitter taste of its own.
This is how tofu came to us in Europe
The tofu originally comes from Asia. It is unknown who made the bean cheese when and where. What is certain, however, is that it was known as a food in the Far East since ancient times. Tofu is still an indispensable staple in China, Vietnam, Thailand and Japan. Tofu only came to Europe in recent years, when there was an increased need for meat substitutes with the trend towards meatless nutrition, which was supposed to compensate for the lack of protein, calcium and iron. Tofu is considered important source of protein and is therefore an essential part of the purely plant-based diet for most people who do not eat meat.
That's why you should cook with tofu every now and then
But not only vegans and vegetarians swear by tofu. Even those who just look healthy, balanced and versatile wants to feed, so she always uses soy curd. It is marinated and even fried in the supermarket – but if you want to pay attention to the figure, go for the natural version and marinate or season the tofu yourself. It tastes particularly delicious with a simple marinade made of ginger, garlic, curry, soy sauce or lime juice . So you know what's in it and can use low-calorie ingredients.
Natural tofu contains 100 grams just 76 calories. Even lean chicken meat cannot keep up, which is three times this amount. It's also tofu rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals and provides you with all essential amino acids. In combination with rice or oats, they can be absorbed particularly well. In order to use tofu as a source of iron, it is also recommended to combine the tofu with lemon juice or other foods that contain a lot of vitamin C. Even then, the iron from plant products is still not as usable as that which the body obtains from animal products, but a deficiency can be effectively prevented.
Cook, fry and grill with tofu
Tofu is an all-round talent in the kitchen. First of all, that's because tofu, if it's not marinated or seasoned, completely tasteless is. That means: With a piece of tofu you have a white canvas in front of you, where you can let off steam. Whether delicious marinades from soy sauce and Co. or exotic spices – you can experiment and try a lot with tofu. You can then grill, bake or roast it, cook a vegan bolognese from it, top it with a burger or cut it into small tofu cubes as an insert for Asian soups.
While tofu is also combined with meat and seafood in Asia, it is common in Germany instead eaten. But here, too, it is worth open-minded and keen to experiment to be. A glass noodle salad with chicken and tofu can be a good start. Braised pork can also be served very well with tofu. In our tofu recipes above, we not only cook vegan tofu goulash with peanuts, we also prepare a tofu and vegetable burger and prepare a delicious vegetable curry with tofu and sweet potatoes. We'll also tell you how best to grill tofu.