To most people, tofu is a bland tasting, simple looking, texture-less blob that are only eaten by vegetarians. The truth of the matter is that if prepared properly, Tofu is actually one of the most versatile, flavorful and nutritious food there is. Not only can Tofu be created in a variety of textures, consistencies and flavors, but it also far exceeds the nutritional value of most meat dishes.
You don’t have to be a vegetarian to consider adding tofu to your diet. If you love rich flavors then tofu can be an exciting addition to your diet as it can soak up flavors of any ingredient and can be prepared in multiple ways with a variety of textures that can delight your taste buds.
Tofu is also often substituted and used as mock meat. Tofu can be made to feel and taste like chicken, turkey, beef and even seafood. So if you are a vegetarian and would like to know what chicken tastes like, you can have mock chicken made with tofu.
Asians have been using tofu in their cooking for thousands of years and have a multitude of recipes, cooking techniques and eating traditions that make tofu an enjoyable and easily accessible food choice. Many ethnic Indian, Chinese and Japanese dishes use tofu cooked and spices in a variety of ways.
I find tofu to be a very exciting food and I do enjoy eating tofu cooked in different recipes. It tastes great and is good for the health. I invite you to read on to learn more about tofu – how it is made, benefits of eating tofu, some tofu recipes and more tofu related information.
Health Benefits of Eating Tofu
Believe it or not, but tofu is extremely nutritious and has many health benefits. Just eating two grams of it daily can help your body reduce the cholesterol it absorbs by more than 10% from other unhealthy foods.
Tofu is low in fat, calories and cholesterol. It is also an excellent source of high quality protein from non-meat foods.
Tofu is also rich in B-vitamins and contains a lot of calcium. Calcium helps in the prevention of osteoporosis – thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density.
Tofu is also friendly to your digestive system as it is easy to digest due to the removal of soybean’s fiber during the manufacturing process.
Most soy-foods, including tofu, helps in the reduction of cholesterol in our body. It helps maintain the level of good HDL cholesterol by lowering the levels of bad LDL cholesterol.
Tofu is rich in isoflavones. Isoflavones reduces risk osteoporosis, breast and prostate cancers.
Different Types of Tofu
Tofu has been made and consumed by Asians for thousands of years. Asians have long known about the nutritional benefits Tofu has. Tofu is also a very versatile food and be shaped, textured and flavored in variety of ways. Because tofu by itself is a very bland tasting food, it can absorb flavors of any ingredient it is cooked with.
Tofu is sold in water-filled packs or in aseptic cartons. Fresh tofu is usually packaged in water and should be refrigerated and kept in water until used.
Tofu are often made dense so that it can be cut in cubes or other shapes and used for stir-fried, pickled, smoked, scrambled, grilled, barbecued and served in hot and cold soups. This type of tofu is called Firm Tofu and it is higher in protein, fats and calcium than other types of tofu.
Tofu are also made to be soft for use in recipes where tofu needs to be blended. This type of tofu is called Soft Tofu.
Another type of tofu is called Silken Tofu. Silken tofu has a creamy structure and is mostly used for blends or blended dishes.
Our Favorite Pick -> Mori-Nu Extra Firm Silken Tofu
Featured Image – “TofuWithSoySauceAndCarrot” by Chris 73 / Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
