ARE YOU TO FU enough?

Love it or hate it, everyone has an opinion about tofu. Tofu is a very popular plant-based protein for vegans and vegetarians, but now this humble bean curd is starting to shine for meat lovers too as an alternative source of protein.

- Lisa Holmen

Whether you like it scrambled, fried, crispy, baked or sautéed, you can fi nd a tofu recipe that is right for everyone — that is, if you know how to cook it. Often misunderstood for being bland, tofu is incredibly versatile in cooking since it has a mild, neutral taste which tends to take on the flavours of the food you cook it with. Cooking with tofu may be daunting for beginners, but the results can be exceptionally rewarding to your health and your taste buds.

Tofu tales

Tofu has been around for thousands of years. Originating in China, it is believed to date back to the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). It’s rumoured that more than 2000 years ago, the Chinese discovered it after accidentally combining soy milk with nigari. Nigari is a mineral-rich coagulant that’s left over after salt is extracted from sea water and is used to help tofu solidify and keep its form. Despite its popularity in Asia, it hasn’t been until recent decades that tofu has exploded in popularity around the world as a plant-based protein not just reserved for vegetarians.