![]() | |
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
---|---|
Energy | 2,217 kJ (530 kcal) |
7.2 g | |
Dietary fiber | 3.0 g |
32.1 g | |
Saturated | 4.98 g |
Monounsaturated | 7.50 g |
Polyunsaturated | 16.26 g |
50.4 g | |
Vitamins | Quantity %DV† |
Vitamin A equiv. | 0% 1 μg0% 7 μg |
Thiamine (B1) | 30% 0.35 mg |
Riboflavin (B2) | 10% 0.12 mg |
Niacin (B3) | 9% 1.4 mg |
Pantothenic acid (B5) | 11% 0.55 mg |
Vitamin B6 | 25% 0.32 mg |
Folate (B9) | 10% 38 μg |
Vitamin E | 16% 2.4 mg |
Vitamin K | 52% 55 μg |
Minerals | Quantity %DV† |
Calcium | 21% 210 mg |
Copper | 164% 3.27 mg |
Iron | 64% 8.3 mg |
Magnesium | 62% 220 mg |
Phosphorus | 86% 600 mg |
Potassium | 18% 840 mg |
Selenium | 10% 7 μg |
Sodium | 1% 12 mg |
Zinc | 52% 4.9 mg |
Other constituents | Quantity |
Water | 6.9 g |
Water Soluble Dietary Fiber | 0.6 g |
Insoluble Dietary Fiber | 2.4 g |
Biotin(B7) | 37.3 µg |
Vitamin E showed only α-tocopherol [1] | |
| |
†Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. |
Regional names | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chinese name | |||||||||||||
Chinese | 腐皮 | ||||||||||||
Literal meaning | beancurd skin | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Chinese name 2 | |||||||||||||
Chinese | 豆腐皮 | ||||||||||||
Literal meaning | tofu skin | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Korean name | |||||||||||||
Hangul | 두부껍질 | ||||||||||||
Literal meaning | tofu skin | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Japanese name | |||||||||||||
Kanji | 湯葉 | ||||||||||||
Kana | ゆば | ||||||||||||
|
Tofu skin,Yuba,beancurd skin,beancurd sheet,or beancurd robes is a food product made from soybeans. During the boiling of soy milk,in an open shallow pan,a film or skin composed primarily of a soy protein-lipid complex forms on the liquid surface. [2] [3] The films are collected and dried into yellowish sheets known as tofu skin. [4] [5] Since tofu skin is not produced using a coagulant,it is not technically a proper tofu;however,it does have similar texture and flavor to some tofu products.
Tofu skin's use was first documented in written records in China in the sixteenth century. It is widely used,fresh,fermented,or dried,in Chinese,Korean,and Japanese cuisine.
An early written reference to tofu skin appeared in 1587 in Japan in the Matsuya Hisamatsu chakai-ki [Three-generation diary of the Matsuya's family's tea ceremonies]. The writer,Matsuya Hisamasa,states simply that tofu skin is the film that forms atop soymilk. [4]
Other written references to tofu skin appeared around that time in China in the Bencao Gangmu [The great pharmacopoeia] by Li Shizhen. This work was completed in 1578,but not published until 1596. Chapter 25 states:
If a film should form on the surface of soymilk when it is heated in the process of making tofu, it should be lifted off and dried to give doufu pi (literally "bean curd skin") which is itself a delicious food ingredient
— First cited by H.T. Huang 2000, p. 303, 323
A third known reference to tofu skin appears in 1695 in Japan in the Ben Zhao Shi Jian (Wade–Giles: Pen Chao Shih Chien [A Mirror of Food in This Dynasty, 12 volumes]. This book was written by Hitomi Hitsudai in Japan, in Chinese. When Japanese read the Chinese characters for tofu skin, doufu-lao, they pronounce them tōfu no uba. Lao or uba means "old woman" or "wet nurse".
Tofu skin may be purchased in fresh or dried form. In the latter case, the tofu skin is rehydrated in water before use. It is often used to wrap dim sum.
Because of its slightly rubbery texture, tofu skin is also manufactured in bunched, folded and wrapped forms, which are used as meat substitutes in vegetarian cuisine. Tofu skins can be wrapped and then folded against itself to make dòu baō (Chinese :豆包; lit. 'tofu package'). These are often fried to form a firmer skin before being cooked further.
These are the three basic forms. Each comes in many varieties.
Tofu skin may also be dried and sold as dried beancurd sticks (Chinese :腐竹; pinyin :fǔzhú; lit. 'tofu bamboo'). By layering or bunching fresh tofu skin or rehydrated tofu skin, then tying it tightly in cloth and stewing it, the dried beancurd sticks will retain their original shape. This bunched tofu skin is then called tofu chicken (simplified Chinese:豆鸡; traditional Chinese:豆雞; pinyin:dòu jī; or simplified Chinese:素鸡; traditional Chinese:素雞; pinyin:sù jī). In Thai cooking it is referred to as fawng dtâo-hûu (Thai : ฟองเต้าหู้, lit. foam tofu). It is commonly called foo chuk in Southeast Asia. [6]
By layering and bunching the sheets in a certain manner, an imitation of chicken breast can be created with tofu skin. The effect is completed by frying the "skin" side of the tofu chicken until it is crispy. If stuffed with vegetables, it becomes tofu duck. Likewise various other meat alternatives have been made in this way, especially by Buddhist vegetarian restaurants in areas of Chinese culture. [5]
The earliest process for making these meatless meats consisted of rolling thin sheets of doufupi, literally tofu skin, around a filling of minced, smoked, or other seasoned pieces of tofu skin, tying closed the bundle with string, and steaming until a meaty texture and flavor developed. [7]
Other methods include rolling the tofu skin tightly on a chopstick and steaming it to form a log. When the log is sliced, each slice will be circular with a square hole in the center, which looks like old Chinese coins.
The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses.
Amanattō (甘納豆) is a Japanese traditional confectionery made of azuki or other beans, covered with refined sugar after simmering with sugar syrup and drying. It was developed by Hosoda Yasubei during the Bunkyū years (1861–1863) in the Edo period. He opened a wagashi store in Tokyo, which he named for his childhood name: Eitaro. This store continues to operate.
Kikkoman Corporation is a Japanese food manufacturer. Its main products and services include soy sauce, food seasoning and flavoring, mirin, shōchū, and sake, juice and other beverages, pharmaceuticals, and restaurant management services.
Soy milk, also known as soya milk or soymilk, is a plant-based drink produced by soaking and grinding soybeans, boiling the mixture, and filtering out remaining particulates. It is a stable emulsion of oil, water, and protein. Its original form is an intermediate product of the manufacture of tofu. Originating in China, it became a common beverage in Europe and North America in the latter half of the 20th century, especially as production techniques were developed to give it a taste and consistency more closely resembling that of dairy milk. Soy milk may be used as a substitute for dairy milk by individuals who are vegan or lactose intolerant.
Zhajiangmian, commonly translated as "noodles served with fried bean sauce", is a dish of Chinese origin consisting of thick wheat noodles topped with zhajiang, a soybean-based sauce. Variations may include toppings of vegetables, beans, meat, tofu, or egg. In the Western press, it is occasionally dubbed "Beijing bolognaise" due to its superficial similarity and ubiquitous nature.
Douhua is a Chinese sweet or savoury snack made with silken tofu. It is also referred to as doufuhua, tofu pudding, soybean pudding or, particularly in northern China, tofu brains.
Douchi or tochi is a type of fermented and salted black soybean most popular in the cuisine of China, where they are most widely used for making black bean sauce dishes.
Fermented tofu is a Chinese condiment consisting of a form of processed, preserved tofu used in East Asian cuisine. The ingredients typically are soybeans, salt, rice wine and sesame oil or vinegar. In mainland China the product is often freshly distributed. In overseas Chinese communities living in Southeast Asia, commercially packaged versions are often sold in jars containing blocks 2- to 4-cm square by 1 to 2 cm thick soaked in brine with select flavorings.
Okara, soy pulp, or tofu dregs is a pulp consisting of insoluble parts of the soybean that remain after pureed soybeans are filtered in the production of soy milk and tofu. It is generally white or yellowish in color. It is part of the traditional cuisines of Japan, Korea, and China. Since the 20th century, it has been used in the vegetarian cuisines of Western nations.
Kinako is roasted soybean flour, a product commonly used in Japanese cuisine. In English, it is usually called "roasted soy flour". More precisely it is "roasted whole soy flour". Usage of the word kinako appeared in cookbooks from the late Muromachi period (1336–1573). Kinako means "yellow flour" in Japanese.
Dougan is a firm variety of tofu which is popular in Chinese cuisine. It differs from regular tofu in that it is firm whereas tofu is soft. It is made from soybeans with added calcium sulfate, and sometimes flavored with salt, soy sauce, and spices such as cinnamon, star anise, and licorice.
Tofu is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness: silken, soft, firm, extra firm. Tofu is also known as bean curd in English. Beyond these broad textural categories, there are many varieties of tofu. It has a subtle flavor, so it can be used in savory and sweet dishes. It is often seasoned or marinated to suit the dish and its flavors, and due to its spongy texture, it absorbs flavors well. It is a traditional component of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines, and has been consumed in China for over 2,000 years. In modern Western cooking, it is most often treated as a meat substitute.
Wotou or wowotou, also called Chinese cornbread, is a type of steamed bread made from cornmeal in Northern China.
Red bean paste or red bean jam, also called adzuki bean paste or anko, is a paste made of red beans, used in East Asian cuisine. The paste is prepared by boiling the beans, then mashing or grinding them. At this stage, the paste can be sweetened or left as it is. The color of the paste is usually dark red, which comes from the husk of the beans. In Korean cuisine, the adzuki beans can also be husked prior to cooking, resulting in a white paste. It is also possible to remove the husk by sieving after cooking, but before sweetening, resulting in a red paste that is smoother and more homogeneous.
Dr. Lo Kwee-seong, CBE, JP was a Hong Kong businessman, investor and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Vitasoy, a well-known soymilk drink company in Hong Kong. He was also an unofficial member of the Urban Council and the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and the chairman of the Hong Kong Consumer Council.
The Farm Vegetarian Cookbook is a vegan cookbook by Louise Hagler, first published in 1975. It was influential in introducing Americans to tofu, included recipes for making and using tempeh and other soy foods, and became a staple in vegetarian kitchens.
Koya-dofu also known as Shimi-dofu, Kori-dofu, or Koyasan-dofu is frozen-dried tofu, a Japanese pantry staple and an important ingredient in Buddhist vegetarian cookery. It originated from Japan. It is made of soy, coagulants, and baking soda. It looks like a hard sponge and needs to be soaked before use. It is mainly used in stews and soups.
Harry Willis Miller was an American physician, thyroid surgeon and Seventh-day Adventist missionary. Miller was a vegetarian and pioneer in the development of soy milk.
William Roy Shurtleff also known as Bill Shurtleff is an American researcher and writer about soy foods. Shurtleff and his former wife Akiko Aoyagi have written and published consumer-oriented cookbooks, handbooks for small- and large-scale commercial production, histories, and bibliographies of various soy foods. These books introduced soy foods such as tofu, tempeh, and miso on a wide scale to non-Asian Westerners, and are largely responsible for the establishment of non-Asian soy food manufacturers in the West beginning in the late 1970s. In 1980, Lorna Sass wrote in The New York Times, "The two people most responsible for catapulting tofu from the wok into the frying pan are William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi.” In 1995, Suzanne Hamlin wrote in The New York Times, “At the turn of the century there were two tofu suppliers in the United States. Today there are more than 200 tofu manufacturers...and tofu can be found in nearly every supermarket."
Akiko Aoyagi is an American cookbook author and artist. She is best known as the recipe developer, illustrator, and co-author of the soy-based cookbook series The Book of Tofu (1975), The Book of Miso (1976), and The Book of Tempeh (1979), that had a strong impact on the natural foods movement within the American counterculture.