Tofu is one of the most widespread foods in vegetarian and vegan diets. Thanks to globalization, it has landed on our tables and is no longer confined solely to the traditional cuisine of the Far East. It is often referred to as "veg cheese" due to its production method, and it lends itself to the preparation of various recipes, especially the simpler ones. Let's explore what tofu is, its multiple nutritional properties, how to prepare it from scratch at home, and finally, how to use it in the kitchen to delight ourselves, family, and friends.

Tofu: what it is and nutritional values

Before discovering how to prepare it and what its benefits are, it is important to understand what tofu is and where it comes from. Specifically, it is a food obtained by curdling soy milk, a complete vegetable rich in nutrients and therefore highly nourishing. Precisely for this reason, tofu is also known as soy cheese or vegetable cheese, due to a production process closely resembling that used for producing common cheeses. With the typical shape of a cheese block or loaf, it has been embraced by omnivorous cuisine in recent years, thanks to its benefits and valuable nutritional values, which are very similar to those of the beverage from which it is derived.

Although widely used in Japanese cuisine, tofu originated in China, about 2000 years ago. It only arrived in the West in the 1960s, driven by a growing interest in healthy eating, where it is appreciated for its many benefits. As mentioned, deriving from soy milk, it shares most of its properties. Soy is a legume that is very rich in protein, but, unlike the most common legumes, it is low in carbohydrates. Consequently, tofu is a good protein substitute for products of animal origin. Furthermore, it has a low-calorie content: the calories in this food amount to 76 per 100g of product, divided into about 10% carbohydrates, 37% protein, and 53% fats, plus several vegetable proteins and 10 essential amino acids such as lysine and cystine.

Depending on the coagulant used, the nutritional values of tofu are enriched with variable amounts of calcium, as well as a good dose of lecithin, which is particularly suitable forfighting bad cholesterol, which is completely absent in this vegetable cheese. The profile is completed by mineral salts such as potassium, iron, and phosphorus, as well as isoflavonoids, which are especially useful for controlling typical discomforts of the female cycle.

How to cook homemade tofu

Considering the importance of tofu in our diet, it is useful to know not only how to use it in cooking but also how to make it directly at home. As good as the one we usually eat in an Oriental restaurant. The solution once again comes from the Ariete catalogue, which offers B-Cheese, the first and innovative cheese maker machine. This appliance will prove to be an excellent ally for those who want to prepare tasty fresh cheeses and yogurt using only natural ingredients. Very intuitive and easy to use, it comes with a useful recipe book containing recipes specially tested by a professional chef, including one for making tofu.

The simplest and most classic preparation involves making tofu using soy beverages with a very short label, listing only water, soy, and salt among the ingredients. To obtain it, it is also necessary to use nigari, which is magnesium chloride, a natural substance contained in seawater that has the power to coagulate soy proteins. With the Ariete cheese machine, you will only need 2 liters of natural soy milk, 8 grams of salt, and 6 grams of magnesium chloride.

We must then insert the milk into the machine, followed by the salt, then mix well to dissolve the compound and subsequently insert the cheese basket. Now, start program 3 "Vegan," and at the beep of the indicator light, add the nigari dissolved in 15 milliliters of water, stirring the milk slowly. Immediately after, stop the milk and stir it in the opposite direction. Press the "OK" light and wait 10 minutes for the curd to rise and compact. At the next beep of the light, slowly lift the basket and place it on the grooves to drain the whey. After 15 minutes of draining, fill the yogurt cup with water and place it on the curd to press and squeeze it, press "OK" again, and leave to drain for 2 hours. You will thus obtain excellent tofu, which can be consumed immediately or stored in the fridge for a maximum of 5 days.

Tofu: Ariete's Recipes

Now that we know what tofu is and have appreciated its nutritional properties by preparing it with Ariete's B-Cheese, all that remains is to learn how to cook it. It is suitable for any dietary regime as a substitute for foods rich in protein, such as meat, fish, eggs, or cheese. We can thus unleash our imagination, using minced tofu with vegetables to prepare sauces for pasta, spelt, barley, or other main courses. It is generally cooked using a grill or a griddle, or we can use any spice marinade to flavor it. Another delicious idea is to add it to soups, or use it instead of cheese for a delightful vegan cheesecake.