What is tofu cheese made of: composition, manufacturing features and properties

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Tofu cheese is currently gaining popularity. What it is? It is a plant-based product that is made from soy milk. Distinctive features of soft cheese are low calorie content and the presence of a large amount of protein. Tofu is wildly popular in Europe and Asia due to its high content of iron, protein and calcium. So what is the secret of the product's popularity? What is tofu cheese made from? About this - in this article.

Tofu cheese - what is it and why is it eaten?

This product is made from soybeans. They are processed into milk, and then, thanks to additional components, it curdles and turns into soft cheese. Tofu can be categorized as a diet food. Soy curd contains a minimum of calories, a lot of useful substances and vitamins, proteins and proteins.

Often in sports nutritionIt is tofu or bean curd that is used. The composition of the product includes iron, calcium and vegetable fats.

Benefits of soy cheese

Despite the minimal amount of calories, tofu has a special unique value. The soy product does not contain cholesterol, and also has antioxidants, which, with constant use, can delicately cleanse the body of harmful substances and toxins. Let's take a closer look at the composition of tofu cheese and what this extremely useful product is made of:

• First of all, tofu saturates the body with protein, vitamins and iron.
• Calcium, which is found in soy milk and therefore in soft cheese, strengthens the body's skeletal system, hair follicles, nails and teeth.
• Tofu has a beneficial effect on blood vessels and the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
• There are no animal fats in soft cheese. But despite this, it has a high nutritional value and helps to get enough of a small amount of food for a sufficiently long time.
• In addition, tofu cheese is quickly absorbed by the body.
• Another advantage of a dairy product is its low calorie content. No more than 85 kilocalories per 100 grams of cheese.
• Tofu will be a real find for people who suffer from animal protein intolerance. But it helps to strengthen and grow muscle tissue.
• Also, in the description of the benefits of tofu cheese, there is information about its usefulness for the female body. Soft cheese promotes weight loss and contains phytoestrogens. They improve the appearancelook and rejuvenate the skin, help alleviate a number of unpleasant symptoms during menopause.

Useful substances and trace elements

Soy cheese has become a real discovery in cooking. Tofu is very easy to prepare and is suitable for many dishes. Soft cheese is made from soybeans, which are leaders among the products containing protein and vegetable fibers. They also contain vitamins B, A, E, C and D, macro- and microelements sodium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, manganese and amino acids.

Due to the he alth benefits of tofu cheese, it is often used instead of meat and fish.

Harm and contraindications

Tofu is easily absorbed by the body, but should be consumed in moderation. Otherwise, soft cheese can slow down or impair digestion. Allergy sufferers should also be wary of this product. Such people should be tested for soy tolerance and continue to follow the instructions of their doctor. Otherwise, the product may cause allergic reactions, indigestion and other troubles.

In general, experts have not identified any harm that tofu cheese can cause to the body. But still, you should be careful about this product, buy it only in trusted stores and monitor the expiration date.

What is tofu cheese made of

The main ingredient in the preparation of the product are soybeans. Plant-based milk is produced from them. That is what is taken fortofu base. Next, a special coagulant is added to soy milk. It must be included in the recipe to obtain the desired porous and firm consistency of the product. To give the soy tofu the desired shape, it is heated and held under pressure for several hours. The final step is to seal the tofu in an airtight container with a special liquid. This is necessary so that later the cheese does not absorb the smells of other products and does not dry out.

This tofu recipe is used in China and Japan, it can be considered universal. The composition of the ingredients may vary depending on the taste preferences of manufacturers and consumer requests. Most often, various spices or natural flavors are added to tofu.

Composition of soft cheese and manufacturing process

Like any other product, bean curd has its own chemical composition and secret ingredients. What is tofu made from and what additives does it contain?

Soy product contains:

• vitamins and amino acids;
• potassium, calcium, sodium, zinc and iron;
• protein, amino acids and plant fibers.

Thanks to its composition, tofu cheese is so he althy. Of course, additional components may change, but high-quality cheese will definitely contain these elements in the chemical composition.

Many cooks often have a question about how to make tofu cheese at home. Initially, it seems that in order to prepare such a uniqueproduct, you need to purchase professional equipment, have special knowledge and experience. In fact, the classic soy product recipe is so simple that anyone can do it.

Experienced chefs grind fresh beans into flour before making tofu cheese. At home, you can not adhere to this point. Immediately buy high-quality soy flour or milk in a speci alty store.

The process of making soft cheese is as follows:

1. Grind soybeans, make flour.
2. Add thickener or citric acid.
3. Pour the mixture with s alt water, mix thoroughly until smooth.
4. Put the mass into a pre-prepared form.
5. Put the press on top for a few hours.

As you can see, making your own tofu at home is not that difficult. It is only necessary to observe the proportions and the order of actions.

Tofu cheese recipes at home

Cooking a soy product at home has many benefits. Firstly, homemade tofu will be made only from natural ingredients, without GMO soy, which can often be found on store shelves if you buy ready-made products. Secondly, additional ingredients and spices can be added at your discretion, that is, soft cheese will have exactly the taste that you need and like. Homemade tofu can be made with fresh beans, soy flour or milk.

Classic recipe

It is worth paying attention to the fact that home-made soft cheese has a very short shelf life - no more than two days. Moreover, you need to store it in the refrigerator, after wrapping it with cling film.

Ingredients

• Fresh soybeans - 1 kg.
• Lemon juice - 80 ml.
• Cold water - 2 l.

Cooking order

1. Rinse soybeans under running water, place in a deep bowl.
2. Pour in cold water for a day. During this time, change the water every six hours.
3. After the soybeans swell, grind them with a meat grinder and pour one liter of cold filtered water.
4. Leave the resulting mass in a cool place for three hours, stirring constantly.
5. Strain the obtained soy milk through cheesecloth, leaving only the liquid.
6. Cook it over medium heat until boiling, remove from the stove.
7. After ten minutes, pour citric acid into the milk, stirring constantly until the mass curdles.
8. Remove excess liquid from the resulting soy cheese, put in a mold and leave under pressure for several hours.
9. Store tofu in the refrigerator for no more than a day.

Easy soy milk cheese recipe

Another advantage of tofu is its neutral taste and smell. Therefore, it can be added to various dishes, fried and baked. Cheese is great as a dessert.

Components

• Soy milk - 500 ml.
• Lemon or orange juice - 50 ml.

Step by step cooking

1. Pour soy milk into a deep saucepan and cook over low heat until boiling.
2. Remove from heat and leave to cool for ten minutes.
3. After you need to slowly pour orange or lemon juice into the milk, stirring constantly.
4. When the mass is curdled, it must be filtered through a fine sieve or gauze folded twice.
5. Put the bean curd into the mold and leave under pressure for two hours.
6. Store in a cool place no more than two days.

Soy flour tofu cheese

To make the finished product softer and more porous in structure, you can not keep it under pressure, but simply let it brew in the form for several hours.

Components

• Quality Soybean Flour - 300g
• Lemon juice - 80 ml.
• Cold water - 300 ml.
• Boiled hot water - 500 ml.

Cooking process

1. Pour soy flour into a deep bowl.
2. Pour cold water into it, mix thoroughly until smooth.
3. After add a liter of hot water and cook over medium heat for 10 - 15 minutes.
4. Then take the soy milk off the heat, let it cool down a bit and add the lemon juice.
5. Thoroughly mix the mass, strain through cheesecloth, folded twice.
6. After all excess moisture is removed from bean curd, it must be placed in a prepared form and left under pressure in a cool place for three hours.

So, tofu cheese - what is it? It is a plant-based product that is made from soybeans. It includes many useful substances, vitamins and trace elements. Due to this, the soy product is very popular in many countries around the world. Now you know what tofu is made of and what benefits this unique product has.