Tofu
A block of raw Japanese-style silken tofu | |
| Alternative names | Bean curd |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | China |
| Associated cuisine | |
| Main ingredients | Soy milk |
Tofu (Japanese: 豆腐, Hepburn: Tōfu; Korean: 두부; RR: dubu, Chinese: 豆腐; pinyin: dòufu) or bean curd is a food prepared by pressing the curds of coagulated soy milk into solid white blocks of varying softness: silken, soft, firm, and extra (or super) firm.
It originated in China and has been consumed for over 2,000 years. Tofu is a traditional component of many East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines; in modern Western cooking, it is often used as a meat substitute.
Nutritionally, tofu is low in calories, while providing a rich source of protein. Cultivation of tofu has one of the lowest needs for land use (1.3 m2/ 1000 kcal) and emits some of the lowest amounts of greenhouse gas emissions per gram of edible protein of any food (1.6 kg CO2/ 100 g protein).