Effect of Soybean Varieties on the Yield and Quality of Tofu

Abstract

Cereal Chern. 60(3):245-248 Tofu was made on a laboratory scale from five U.S. and five Japanese soybean varieties grown under the same environmental conditions. With one exception, all the tofu samples had a bland taste. fine texture, and creamy white color. Weber variety with a black hilum yielded tofu with a less attractive color. Differences observed among the 10 varieties were not attributable to the country of origin. Protein contents of soybeans and the resultant tofu (dry basis) were positively correlated. Soybean varieties with Tofu, a traditional oriental soybean food composed principally of protein and oil. is growing rapidly in popularity in the West. According to data from the Soyfoods Center (Shurtleff 1982). the number of nonoriental tofu producers in North America rose from oin 1975 to 167 in 1981. More than 11.000 tons of soybeans are used yearly in making tofu in the United States. Although the bulk of the soybean crop is still used for animal feeds and oil, the use of whole soybeans for human consumption is increasing steadily. Tofu is made by precipitation of the proteins with a calcium or magnesium salt from a hot-water extract of whole soybeans. It is usually sold in the form of a wet cake with a creamy white color. smooth fine texture. and bland taste. Tofu is a highly hydrated. gelatinous product. Its water content can be varied to produce an array of tofu with different characteristics. The typical type in the Orient has an approximate composition of 85% water and 7.5% protein (Smith et al 1960, Table of Taiwan Food Composition 1971, Tsai et al 1981). This type of tofu has a soft, cheeselike texture but is firm enough to retain its shape after slicing. Tofu with water content as high as 87-90% (Standard Tables of Food Composition