There are more and more soy products available in the U.K.nowadays. In my childhood I remember there used to be one tofu shop per area, a bit like one pub in a village in the U.K. Japanese people used to buy freshly made tofu almost everyday from the local shop or the tofu person who came round the neighbourhood by bicycle.
Obviously, tofu used to be one of our essential food.
Tofu is made from soybeans, water and Nigari/Bittern. It contains several anti-inflammatory, antioxidant phytochemicals( Isoflavons ) making it a great addition to an anti-inflammatory diet. Tofu is also a good source of complete protein-meaning that it has a well balanced amino acid profile…in addition to fibre, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese.
In Japan, tofu is well known healthy food, sometimes called ” plant-based meat “. We eat it with miso soup, tofu steak with mushrooms, agedashi tofu/ deep-fried tofu dipped in Dashi, salad,etc.
Here are some health benefits of tofu.
- protein supports making cells and muscles
- calcium supports bone health
- iron supports creating blood
- isoflavons mimic estrogen, helps easing off symptoms of menopause
- lecithin helps lowering the chorestrol and blood pressure
