Tofu (soya bean curd)
You may already know that tofu (soya bean curd) is very rich in protein but low in calories. It also avoids the fat / cholesterol problem associated with meat and dairy products. As well as protein, it is a good source of calcium and other bone-protecting minerals.
Tofu is therefore an important part of the Japanese diet, as they eat no or very little meat; it is also said to be one of the reasons Japanese people are so healthy and long-lived, and it may help protect against cancer, as it contains important isoflavones and bioflavonoids.
You may have seen or eaten tofu smoked or as a substitute for other things (yoghurt?), with various toppings and additions, often sweet - but this is not the traditional Japanese way.
There are basically three main variations: plain, fried and ‘koyadofu’.
Plain
This is served cold, in large (about 3cm) cubes - usually two - as hiyayako, with a little soy sauce and chopped spring onions, sometimes with wasabi (green mustard), or with a small amount of grated fresh ginger; it can also be cut into smaller cubes and put into misoshiru (soup) along with e.g. wakame (seaweed), spring onion, small pieces of carrot, mushroom etc.
Many people dislike tofu as they find it bland, with little taste and an unappealing texture. However, as hiyayako it can be tasty and refreshing, especially in hot weather.
It can also be used to give ‘body’ to thin soups in cold weather, cut into small cubes.
The main problem with tofu is eating it: picking it up with chopsticks requires patience and practice! Cut it with the chopsticks into manageable pieces, then pick it up using the absolute minimum of pressure, otherwise it just disintegrates.
Fried
Fried tofu is known as age-dashi dofu; it is deep fried and has a drier, firmer texture. You can often buy it like this from Japanese shops. It can be served hot or cold as a side dish or chopped into small pieces and added to other dishes. It is delicious but obviously not as healthy because of the oil. It is also used to make the ‘containers’ for inarizushi.
Koyadofu
This type of tofu is usually bought dried, in packets, and must be soaked in warm (not hot) water, then drained and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes before being cooked in a little ‘dashi’ stock with soy sauce and mirin (sweet saké) - not quite enough to cover the cubes - for about five minutes until the tofu is slightly soft. Be sure to heat the liquid to boiling first; if you put the koyadofu into cold sauce and heat it up, it may well break up.
Again it has a firmer texture - rather spongy - and a different taste, not too strong but enough to serve by itself as a side dish, either hot or cold.
Actually, my non-Japanese friends and I prefer it cold, and it goes well with another popular side-dish:
sayaingen -no - gomajyouyu.
This is much easier to make and eat than to say! It consists of cold sliced green beans (boiled for a few minutes first, of course) mixed with a little soy sauce, sugar and some ground sesame seeds. Gently dry-roast the seeds first in a frying pan. Don’t overdo the soy sauce, as it is supposed to be fairly dry, not swimming in liquid.
By the way: sesame seeds are one of the best sources of calcium and also contain iron, protein, B vitamins, magnesium and zinc.
Tofu - better than HRT?
Many women are now wary of HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) because of the possible side-effects. It is thought that these may even include a greater risk of cancer. However, tofu has been shown to reduce or eliminate problems such as hot flushes but without the adverse side -effects; in fact quite the opposite, as it actually reduces the risk of cancer.
This is because it contains phytoestrogens, which are natural, plant-based biochemicals which have the same effect as oestrogen but are not actually hormones at all, unlike the synthetic oestrogen used for HRT.
Tofu also contains manganese, important for strong bones (as well as calcium and magnesium) - and soya beans are a good source of choline, considered essential for maintaining proper brain function. This has been shown to help slow down memory loss.
Add to all this the benefits mentioned above - rich in protein, low in calories, protects from cancer and has none of the cholesterol problems (and others) associated with meat and dairy - and you can see why tofu is such an important part of a healthy diet.
However, some research suggests that eating excessive amounts of unfermented soy products may contribute to some health problems, e.g. thyroid, and should not be eaten by young children, expectant or nursing mothers.
Some have suggested that it may also reduce the absorption of minerals, in the same way that peanuts are supposed to, but I think this is inconclusive, and at worst a minor problem especially if you make up for it with a good variety of mineral-rich foods and / or a good quality supplement.
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