Facts about Tofu

1. 08

   Gypsum, a calcium sulfate mineral, has served as the primary coagulant for tofu production in China for over two thousand years, predating the Japanese use of nigari by centuries.

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2. 07

   Tofu consumption in Japan increased by approximately 40 percent between 2010 and 2020, driven largely by health-conscious consumers and the expansion of plant-based food markets.

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3. 06

   A single cake of tofu requires approximately 2 cups of soy milk to produce, making it roughly four times more efficient to create than the equivalent amount of dairy cheese from cow's milk.

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4. 05

   Tofu's texture ranges from silken to extra-firm based on water content, with silken varieties containing approximately 90 percent water compared to 50 percent in extra-firm blocks.

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5. 04

   Nigari, a mineral-rich coagulant derived from seawater, has been used in Japan since the 8th century to transform soy milk into tofu curds.

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6. 03

   During the Ming Dynasty around the 1600s, Buddhist monks in China developed the tofu pressing technique that enabled production of firm varieties suitable for stir-frying and grilling.

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7. 02

   Soybeans contain all nine essential amino acids, making tofu a complete protein with approximately 15-20 grams per 100-gram serving.

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8. 01

   In 2022, China produced approximately 2.8 million tons of tofu annually, accounting for roughly 75 percent of global tofu production.

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