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Terrific Tofu Facts and Recipes :

Sep 18, 2007

Tofu is the Japanese name for soybean curd. Dating back to its use in China around 200 B.C, tofu is believed to be the first processed food. Today, it is a dietary staple throughout all of Asia.

Tofu is a relative newcomer to the USA. Established in 1906, Quong Hop in San Francisco claims to be the first tofu shop in America. Today, tofu is found in nearly all heath food stores and is fast becoming a common item is most grocery stores, too.

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So why is tofu so popular? Along with being a very versatile food to cook with, tofu is an incredibly healthy food . It is a great source of high-quality protein. It is also a good source of B-vitamins and iron. In most cases, the curdling agent used to make tofu is calcium salt, which makes tofu an excellent source of calcium. In addition, some scientists have found that people who consume diets high in soy have significantly lower rates of heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer (breast, colon and prostate) and fewer menopausal symptoms. It's believed these disease protecting qualities come from the "isoflavones" found in the soybean plant.

Along with all the good press, soy does get some negative press. With so many reports written about soy's health benefits, some people believe more of a good thing would be better. This is not necessarily so. There is some research that indicates that "mega-doses" of isoflavones may not be healthy, but most of this research is concerned with supplement pills containing large amounts of isoflavones, not the natural levels of isoflavones found in soybeans (and thus tofu) which are rather low. We believe the best way to get nutrients is the natural way -- in foods like tofu, not with pills.

If you thought tofu was simply a vegetarian substitute for meat, we'd encourage you to embrace a broader opinion of this food. Tofu is much more than just a good source of protein.

Age to introduce: Eight to 10 months in babies -- the silken type, mashed or the soft type cubed as a finger food (look out -- it is slippery!). To reduce the slipperiness of tofu cubes, toss them with crushed graham crackers or Cheerios.

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