Tofu, one of of the main sources of protein in the Indonesian diet, originates from soybeans. The soybeans above were actually imported from the U.S., who knows, maybe even from the soybean farmers of NE Kansas!
The soybeans are fermented and then ground into a soupy paste as shown above. Boiling hot water is added, leaching out certain parts of the soybeans into a barrel below. The soupy part "sets up" as it cools and becomes the actual tofu, while the solid, doughy part that remains is used to make fish food for a nearby commercial fish farm. The process is relatively short and efficient.
The finished product doesn't look like much, but after cooked or fried and spiced up, its not too bad, although I still prefer a T-bone steak any day. But in a land where meat is expensive and protein deficient, tofu makes for a good daily supplement to a rice-based diet.
Tofu, one of of the main sources of protein in the Indonesian diet, originates from soybeans. The soybeans above were actually imported from the U.S., who knows, maybe even from the soybean farmers of NE Kansas!
The soybeans are fermented and then ground into a soupy paste as shown above. Boiling hot water is added, leaching out certain parts of the soybeans into a barrel below. The soupy part "sets up" as it cools and becomes the actual tofu, while the solid, doughy part that remains is used to make fish food for a nearby commercial fish farm. The process is relatively short and efficient.
The finished product doesn't look like much, but after cooked or fried and spiced up, its not too bad, although I still prefer a T-bone steak any day. But in a land where meat is expensive and protein deficient, tofu makes for a good daily supplement to a rice-based diet.
