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| soybeans. Foto: Heike Pater |
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| tofu. Foto: Heike Pater |
We live in a world that is constantly changing. People all over the world follow different diets due to very different reasons. Some of the reasons are religious, ethical or health reasons. Every single person needs to decide for themselves what is the best for them. I am a vegetarian so this weeks topic "preservation of meat" was not something that I liked to practice. So thank you to my teachers for giving me an alternative!
The word "vegetarianism" can be derived from Latin terms, specifically "vegetare" (to grow, invigorate), "vegus" (alive), and "vegere" (to invigorate, animate). Consequently, it refers to a dietary practice seen as both "invigorating" and "vibrant" because it encompasses plant-based products along with animal products derived from living animals. (Leitzmann & Keller, 2013)
One of the most popular products used to replace meat with is tofu. "Tofu, sometimes called bean curd or soybean curd, is a creamy, high-protein, low-fat soy product typically sold in blocks. Tofu is also high in calcium and iron. It's made from soybeans, water, and a coagulant or curdling agent, and absorbs flavors through spices, sauces, and marinades."(Kapadia, 2023)
Tofu has a long history dating back thousands of years, with its origins traced to China, where it is believed to have been developed during the Han Dynasty. According to legend, tofu was created when a Chinese cook accidentally curdled soy milk by adding nigari seaweed. This mishap gave birth to the tofu we are familiar with today. While tofu has been a favorite in Asian cuisine for centuries, it gained widespread popularity in Western nations during the 1960s when there was a growing interest in healthy eating. Since then, extensive research has revealed numerous health benefits associated with tofu consumption. (Poynter, 2021)
Thinking about 100 years ago in Norway, I am unsure if this is something that could have been done. People had access to all the ingredients, but the problem could have been the equipment. I think they could have found a way to mash the beans and combine them with water. The straining part might have been harder than nowadays but not impossible. I think there is a reason why people did not do it or rather chose to eat meat. The possibilities were very much limited.
SO, LETS MAKE SOME TOFU!
The first thing I did was go to the grocery store and try to find soybeans. They are hard to find though, there were none in the grocery stores that I went to, but I was successful in the asia market. I took them home, placed them in a pot full of water and left them overnight.
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| soybeans and soybeans in water. Fotos: Heike Pater |
The next day I took my pot and went to the school kitchen. I tried to find everything that I need and had to improvise with the equipment here and there, but I made it work.
I washed the soybeans and then weighed them. They were 900 grams, so I divided them into three parts of 300 grams and blended each of the parts with one liter of water. I prepared a bowl with a strainer on top that I also covered with a cloth. I put the mixture in and started to wring out the cloth so the milk dropped through the strainer into the bowl. This is how I gained the fresh soymilk, I had to repeat this process lots of times.
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| soybeans and water in a blender. Foto: Heike Pater filling mixture into strainer. Foto: Heike Pater squeezing cloth to gain soymilk. Foto: Heike Pater |
When this part was done it came out to be 3 liters of soymilk. For the coagulant I mixed lemon juice with salt. I put the soymilk in a large pot and started to heat it. Be careful – it overflows very easily once it starts getting hot. I added my lemon juice and salt mixture once it was hot and let it cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. I again prepared a bowl with a strainer and a cloth on top and then poured in the tofu pieces.
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| lemonjuice, salt, measuring jug. Foto: Heike Pater soymilk on the stove. Foto: Heike Pater soymilk after adding coagulant. Foto: Heike Pater filling tofu pieces into the cloth. Foto: Heike Pater |
Finally, all I had to to was close it up and placed as many heavy things on top as I could find to press the tofu and get rid of the liquid. I came back the next day and it was done! Selfmade tofu!
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| closing the cloth with tofu inside. Foto: Heike Pater staking the tofu with heavy things. Foto: Heike Pater tofu. Foto: Heike Pater tofu. Foto: Heike Pater |
EVERYTHING YOU NEED
Soybeans (900g)
Water (3 liters)
Lemonjuice (15 spoons)
Salt (1,5 spoons)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Fill a bowl with water, add the soybeans and leave them overnight.
2. Add the soybeans to a blender, add water, and blend.
3. Place a strainer on top of a bowl, cover it with a cloth and fill in your mixture. Squeeze the cloth and let the milk drop through the strainer into the bowl.
4. Fill the soymilk into a large pot and heat it up.
5. Mix 15 spoons of lemon juice with 1,5 spoons of salt.
6. Once the mild starts boiling, add in the lemon juice and salt mixture.
7. Let it cook on low heat for about ten minutes.
8. Usually you would need a tofu press now, but we are going to improvise. Again, place a strainer on top of a bowl and cover it with a cloth. Fill it with the loose tofu pieces, close up the cloth and stack it with any heavy things you can find. (example: fill a pot with water and place it on top)
9. Wait until the next day and take your tofu out of the cloth.
10. DONE!
There is a variety of recipes to prepare tofu! Fried tofu, sticky tofu and everything to could think of. I just seasoned and roasted my tofu and added it to a wrap! It was delicious.
References
Kapadia, J. (2023, September 15). What is tofu? The Spruce Eats. https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-tofu-definition-and-recipes-3376822
Leitzmann, C., Keller, M. (2013). Vegetarische Ernährung. Stuttgart: Eugen Ulmer.
Poynter, B. (2021, August 24). The History & Health benefits of tofu — Timoti’s. Timoti’s. http://www.timotis.com/news-1/history-health-benefits-tofu
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