Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. If it's the gas, try fermented soy products such as tempeh which cause much less or no gas. Improve this answer. Sign up or log in Sign up using Google. Sign up using Facebook. Sign up using Email and Password. Post as a guest Name.
Email Required, but never shown. Featured on Meta. Now live: A fully responsive profile. Related 7. Hot Network Questions. Question feed. Technically, tofu isn't raw. Soybeans are soaked overnight to make them softer, and then they're boiled to make soy milk. The milk is then cooked again so that coagulants can be added. So, when the tofu reaches you, it is basically compressed soybeans that have already been cooked.
Tofu has many, many health benefits. It is packed with protein. If you're a vegetarian or vegan, this is definitely one of your go-to meat replacements. It's also full of amino acids, calcium and magnesium. Even though it contains all these nutrients, it's low in fat and calories, so you're not going to put on weight if you eat a little too much of it. Its goodness makes your bones, hair and nails strong. It's also great for reducing menopausal syndrome.
The only thing you need to make sure of, is that your tofu isn't contaminated. Any food that is contaminated is going to make you ill. Remove the tofu from the packaging and rinse it thoroughly. If you are handling raw meat at the same time as the tofu, use separate utensils. If you know how to cook tofu, you'll have noticed that there is a change in texture, although this depends to a degree on the specific cooking methods you use.
The main difference between eating raw and cooked tofu is that when cooked, a lot of the moisture evaporates from the tofu, leading to a firmer and chewier texture.
This is especially true when frying tofu at a high temperature, for example in stir-fries. It's less of an issue with recipes where the tofu is cooked in liquid, such as in a soup. Yes, of course, it's possible to get food poisoning from tofu, as it is with all foods. It all depends on the quality of production, storage and preparation of the tofu. Cooking tofu is one way of mitigating the risk of food poisoning, but there's no reason that raw tofu can't be eaten safely as long as you stick to basic food hygiene principles, as you would when preparing any raw meal.
There isn't just one answer to this question. It depends on where the tofu is stored, whether it's been opened or not, and whether or not you freeze.
The best thing to do would be to read our article about how long tofu lasts , depending on these various factors. A lot of raw vegans eat tofu. Benefits include higher levels of key nutrients, including essential amino acids, iron, calcium, selenium, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper and zinc, as well as vitamin B1.
It's also great for regulating blood pressure, lowering harmful cholesterol and increasing estrogen levels when eaten as part of a healthy diet.
If you know how to prepare tofu raw, there is a wide range of recipes to try out to expand your use of the ingredient. As well as using it in its natural state, either eating raw tofu from the pack or chopping and adding to salads, you can also try some more adventurous methods, which you might not have thought of:.
Tofu smoothie - Adding silken tofu to a smoothie is a great way to increase the protein content and thicken the consistency without changing the flavor. Tofu yogurt - Pureed silken tofu can be used as a yogurt or cream substitute in a number of recipes, including sauces, dips, and dressings. How to Prep: Pressing soft tofu is not recommended, as you will end up squishing it. Medium-firm tofu has a rougher texture than soft—the curds are visible—but will still crack with handling.
It can have a droopy appearance due to its moderate moisture content, and it's a good choice for dishes that don't require much manipulation, like braising or boiling.
Because there's more whey in medium-firm tofu, it may break up during vigorous stir-frying, and pan-frying can lead to sad, deflated tofu planks. How to Prep: Pressed, drained, salt-soaked, or frozen. This is the workhorse of the tofu family. If you're not sure which tofu to buy, a firm block will get you through most savory recipes.
The curds in a firm block are tight and visible; it should feel solid, with little give. Its firm body takes on a slight rubbery texture during cooking, which means you can handle each block with relatively little fear. Firm tofu holds up quite well to frying and stuffing. Like I said—it's versatile. Firm Block Tofu Recipes:. This is the most compact of the block tofus. The curds are tight, and the block is noticeably squatter than all others.
Its texture has the most chew, making this the tofu best suited to heartier dishes. It makes an ideal dairy-free substitution for paneer in Indian recipes, and it's our tofu of choice for making crispy tofu worth eating. Silken tofu is the next most common tofu style. It's made in a similar process to block tofu, except that the soy milk is coagulated without curdling the milk. It's also left unpressed, so every cake retains all of its moisture while cooling.
Because curds never form, the tofu—be it soft, firm, or extra firm—has a smooth and "silky" appearance. More delicate than block tofu, silken tofus likewise require delicate handling, lest they fall apart. Delicate and heavy, soft silken tofu falls through your fingers under its own water weight.
It requires the careful handling of a poached egg, and will break like one if manipulated too much. It is particularly suited to saucy recipes, such as dressings, smoothies, and egg or yogurt substitutions. How to Prep: Raw, drained—do not press or freeze. Firm silken tofu should never be confused with or substituted for a firm block tofu. It also shouldn't be confused with soft silken tofu—firm silken is made from a denser soy milk, meaning less water is added during the production of the milk.
Firm silken tofu has a richer body that holds up better to handling. How to Prep: Raw, room-temperature—do not press or freeze.
For most intents and purposes, extra-firm silken tofu is exactly the same as firm silken. Because custard tofus are consumed with minimal preparation, your best bet is purchasing them fresh from a local manufacturer. Even the most prettily packaged mass-produced ones taste flat and bitter. It's so delicate that the quality shouldn't be overshadowed by a complex preparation—use a soft silken or block tofu for that.
Or drizzle with agave for a sweet treat.
0コメント