Bamboo Wise

Tofu is an Asian delight that has recently gained popularity in the West. This protein-packed super food has surprisingly almost as much calcium as a glass of milk, and it is low in calories, sodium, and cholesterol. Not only is it low in cholesterol, it is said to actually help reduce it. Tofu is often consumed by menopausal woman as the isoflavones increase the lowered estrogen levels and help regulate hormone fluctuations; however, it is not just for women, the isoflavones are also beneficial for prostate health.

With all of its health benefits, why not experience the freshness of homemade tofu? It is surprisingly easy to make in just a few steps, and you will be surprised how much better it tastes than its store bought counterpart. Tofu is made out of curdled soy milk so the majority of the work in making tofu is actually finished once the soymilk is made. (You can find the directions for making soy milk in my previous post).




Materials needed: (An inexpensive kit can be purchased)
-  Tofu Box
-  Cheese cloth
-  1 tsp Coagulant – Nigari (natural magnesium chloride) is used in Japan and Gypsum (natural calcium sulfate) is used in China
-  12-16 cups of freshly made, unsweetened soymilk


1. Prepare coagulant by dissolving 1 tsp in a cup of hot water. (The more coagulant used, the firmer the tofu becomes.)

2. While stirring, slowly pour ¾ of the dissolved coagulant in soymilk that has just been boiled and is still hot, but the burner is now turned off. (Please note that the soymilk needs to be near boiling point for the coagulant to curdle properly, but the burner should now be turned off.)

3. Stop stirring and wait 2-3 minutes. It should immediately start curdling.

4. Check to see if there are more white milky parts left.

5. If so, add the remaining ¼ tsp. Otherwise it is not necessary depending on how firm you wish your tofu to turn out.

6. The tofu should now be separated between the small white curds and the whey (amber liquid).

7. Put cheese cloth into a strainer and pour the whey and curds into it.

8. Place the cheese cloth with the strained curds into the mold.

9. Place a cup on top of the mold and let stand for 20 minutes.

So basically, you are just putting some coagulant in the prepared soymilk and then placing it into a mold. How easy is that? Now it is time for you to enjoy your fresh, nutritious creation!