As early as the second century AD, in the East, in particular in China, they began to eat tofu. What is it, in our country have learned relatively recently. Together with the fashion for Japanese and Chinese cuisine, where tofu takes pride of place, this bean curd has gained popularity among Russian gourmets.
But still, vegetable cheese, which in the East has long secured a place for one of the main food products, is still exotic here. Although every year there are more and more lovers of this product, especially among vegetarians.
So tofu - what is it? In consistency, color and even slightly in smell, it resembles ordinary cottage cheese, which is obtained as a result of milk processing. Only here, no animal products in tofu and "does not smell"! This is one hundred percent plant food. It is created by the method of special processing of soy milk. To do this, magnesium chloride, potassium sulfate or ordinary citric acid is added to milk, and after heating, the mixture is filtered. Everything - delicious and healthy vegetable cheese is ready to eat.
There are several types of such a product. But, as a rule, domestic consumers are most familiar with tofu (what it is, we’ve almost figured it out), which is sold in pressed form in vacuum packs filled with water. It has a white color. By regularly changing the water in which the cheese is located, you can store this product in the refrigerator for several weeks, while its quality is preserved in full.
The inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom believe that it is the regular use of tofu (what it is, even young children know there) that provides the Chinese nation with health and longevity. And undoubtedly, they have every reason to think so. The fact is that in terms of the amount of protein in its composition, tofu, whose calorific value is very low compared to ordinary cottage cheese, can compete with selected meat. Moreover,
vegetable protein, as you know, is much more easily absorbed by the human body, which means that the use of this cheese does not have unpleasant side effects that avid meat eaters tend to experience.
Vegetarians sing praises to this product, arguing that even children who eat tofu in any form can easily refuse meat, and they are not at all threatened with a lack of protein. In addition to this, this plant product is rich in iron and calcium. And another plus is the complete absence of cholesterol.
Cheese can be eaten raw, just as a snack, it is fried, stewed. Tofu goes well with all kinds of fish and meat dishes, and delicious desserts are prepared on its basis. In general, not a product - but just a fairy tale, if not for one “but”.
Tofu cheese, the use of which is undoubted for the human body, is made from soy milk, that is, from soy. And today this product is number one on the list of plants that are most often amenable to gene modification. And if soybean was created thanks to GMOs, then there can be no talk of any of its benefits.
The worst thing is that it is almost impossible to protect yourself from the use of such products. The inscription “non-GMO” on the packaging, which we are all used to, gives absolutely no guarantees. So even with tofu that is useful in all respects, it’s better not to overdo it and show a sense of proportion.