February 19, 2009
I am stuffed to the gills - fat and happy - couldn't possibly eat another wafer!I have been craving laksa since we arrived back in Australia. I wasn't able ...
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or called toufu, bean curd is a soft white food made by coagulating soy milk, and then pressing the resulting curds into blocks. It is of Chinese origin, and part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, VietnameseDu Bois at al. (2008), pp.13-14 and others.Knopper, (Jan. 2002), p.16 There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu that has been processed in some way. Tofu has very little flavor or smell on its own, so it can be used either in savory or sweet dishes, and is often seasoned or marinated to suit the dish. Tofu originated in ancient China, but little else is known about the origins of tofu and its original method of production. Tofu and its production technique were subsequently introduced into Korea, then Japan during the Nara period, and Taiwan. It also spread into other parts of East Asia as well. This spread likely coincided with the spread of Buddhism as it is an important source of proteins in the religion's vegetarian diet. Tofu is low in calories, contains a relatively large amount of iron and contains little fat. Depending on the coagulant used in manufacturing, the tofu may also be high in calcium and/or magnesium. Tofu also contains soy isoflavones, which can mimic natural human estrogens and may have a variety of harmful or beneficial effects when eaten in sufficient quantities.
Tofu is a soft white soy bean product. It is an excellent source of protein and is often used as a substitute for meats to create vegetarian versions of favorite dishes. See also Soft Tofu, Firm Tofu, Nigari Hard Tofu and Nigari Extra Firm Tofu.