Tofu

Glycine max
part of: Soybean

Tofu is made from soybeans that have been soaked, ground, and boiled to produce soy milk, which is then set into curds using a coagulant — in this case, calcium sulfate. The resulting block can range from silken to extra-firm depending on how much liquid is pressed out.

It has been a staple across East and Southeast Asian cuisines for centuries and has become widely available in Australian supermarkets. Tofu takes on the flavour of whatever it’s cooked with, making it equally at home in a stir-fry with soy and ginger as it is crumbled into a salad or blended into a smoothie. Firm varieties hold up well on the barbecue or in curries, while softer styles suit soups and desserts.

Regular tofu prepared with calcium sulfate is the most common variety found on shelves in Australia. It’s a practical, affordable protein source used across a huge range of dishes.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

Safety

  • › Toxicity: Contains trypsin inhibitors. Requires preparation.

How it's made

Dried soybeans are soaked in water until softened, then ground into a slurry and boiled. The resulting soy milk is strained from the pulp and mixed with calcium sulfate, which causes the proteins to coagulate into curds. These curds are ladled into moulds lined with cloth and pressed under weight to expel whey, forming the familiar block shape. The firmness of the final product depends on how long and how heavily it is pressed.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 76kcal
Protein 8.1g
Carbs 1.6g
Fat 4.8g
Fibre 0.3g Sugar 0.6g
Mass Distribution

0.25 block is about 116 g — roughly 90 kcal of this.

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon 22.72kg
Freshwater 1482.36L
Land 37.72m²

Where it comes from

In the kitchen

Used as

protein centerpiece

Classic dishes
  • edamame
  • soy milk
  • tofu
  • tofu skin
  • soy sauce
  • fermented bean paste
  • natto
  • tempeh
  • miso
  • kinako
  • doenjang
  • cheonggukjang
  • ganjang
  • textured vegetable protein
  • hummus

Keeping one at home? Track yours in your cubud →

Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

USDA

How it was calculated

SR Legacy

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

made fromSoybean, seeds goes well withsoy sauce goes well withginger goes well withgarlic goes well withsesame goes well withscallion shares a sourceHot and Sour Soup shares a sourceMeat Alternatives shares a sourceSoy & Peanut Oils shares a sourceSoy Milk & Dairy Alternatives shares a sourceSoy Sauce & Fermented Pastes shares a sourceSoybeans & Edamame
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