TOP 5 best brands of tofu cheese: rating, features, which one to choose, pros and cons
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Tofu is a soy milk protein product that is an essential part of the daily diet in Japan and China. In our country and around the world, it has gained particular popularity among vegetarians and adherents of a healthy diet. Outwardly, tofu resembles Adyghe cheese or feta cheese, but by itself it has practically no taste and smell. It is often used in cooking — fried, marinated, baked or used as a base for desserts.
Fresh and properly prepared soybean cheese is very healthy: it contains a lot of protein, vitamins and minerals, has a low glycemic index and is suitable for a diet. Today’s review involves 5 brands of tofu cheese, which can be purchased in stores in the Russian Federation. In the article I will talk about the features of each product and the selection criteria when buying.
tofu cheese brands
«Garden of Eden»
«Garden of Eden» tofu cheese
Classic soy cheese in vacuum plastic packaging. A single piece of light cream color and firm consistency, the surface is slightly porous. It has a neutral taste with a slight sourness and a slight smell of soybeans. The package contains a small amount of brine. Suitable for frying and baking.
Mass fraction of proteins per 100 g: 14 g. Shelf life: 90 days. After opening, store in the refrigerator in brine, changing it every day.
| Weight, g | 250 |
| Calorie content, kcal | 121 |
| Country of Origin | Russia |
| Compound | soybeans (not genetically modified), water, salt, curd |
- high protein content;
- nutritious;
- low price;
- the taste is revealed during heat treatment
- Raw taste is very specific.
Bought this tofu at Magnet — It’s cheap so I decided to give it a try. In its pure form, it was not very pleasant to eat, and the smell of beans is too specific, although it came more from the brine. It was worth cutting into pieces and frying — another thing, it turned out very tasty, especially with soy sauce.
One of the most important ingredients of real tofu is a coagulant — calcium chloride or its analogue (magnesium chloride, citric acid). It provides clotting of soy milk protein. Its addition increases the mass of the resulting product at the outlet and improves its structure. Coagulants are absolutely safe and non-toxic for human health.
Morinaga
«Morinaga» tofu cheese
Japanese soybean cheese in a thick cardboard box with opening instructions. It is characterized by a delicate silky texture and freshish taste. More soft than hard, as originally stated on the package. Recommended as an ingredient for salads, first and second courses, scrambled eggs, desserts.
Protein content per 100 g: 6.9 g.
Shelf life: 12 months. Once opened, store in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours.
| Weight, g | 297 |
| Calorie content, kcal | 66 |
| Country of Origin | Japan |
| Compound | water, soybeans, isolated soy protein, hardeners: GDL, calcium chloride |
- low calorie;
- suitable for many gastronomic combinations;
- authentic;
- convenient packaging.
Very tasty product for vegans, very suitable for making miso soup, cheesecakes and casseroles. A real Japanese product, very different from Russian counterparts — more gentle and without the unpleasant aftertaste of soy. Expensive, but amateurs will appreciate it.
«Satonoyuki»
«Satonoyuki» tofu cheese
Japanese cotton tofu in tetra-pack with opening instructions. It has a fragile structure and a moist smooth surface, the consistency resembles a steamed omelette. It has no pronounced smell and taste. It goes well with soy sauce, it is recommended to use after heat treatment and as part of various dishes.
Mass fraction of proteins: 5.7 g per 100 g.
Expiration date: 365 days. After opening the package, it is recommended to use immediately.
| Weight, g | 300 |
| Calorie content, kcal | 63.3 |
| Country of Origin | Japan |
| Compound | water, soy, sealant magnesium chloride |
- pleasant delicate texture;
- perfect for miso soup;
- made in Japan;
- few calories.
Warning to all tofu lovers — after trying this product, you will no longer be able to buy analogues from a Russian manufacturer. Delicate, perfect for vegan cheesecake and Asian cuisine. You can even just cut into pieces and pour soy sauce on top.
«I’M WITH»
Yaso tofu cheese
Natural tofu with the addition of sea salt in a vacuum package. The whole piece has a dense texture and a pale beige tint, like baked milk. The consistency is curdled, easy to break off and spread on bread. The taste is neutral, without sourness and pungent smell. The package contains a small amount of serum.
Protein content per 100 g of the product: 14 g. Shelf life: 180 days, after opening it is recommended to store no more than 24 hours.
| Weight, g | 175 |
| Calorie content, kcal | 140 |
| Country of Origin | Russia |
| Compound | soybeans, water, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, sea salt |
- affordable price;
- high protein levels
- versatile in cooking;
- low glycemic index;
- satisfying.
The Yaso brand has many varieties of tofu with different flavors, but I prefer natural without additives. You can cook anything with it — salads, soups, sandwiches, but just like that I also like it. Excellent high protein product at a reasonable price!
«Zhitnoye Podvorie»
«Zhitnoye Podvorie» tofu cheese
Classic soy cheese in a transparent vacuum package. A whole cream-colored bar has a loose, but at the same time dense texture with small holes, it is easily cut with a knife. The taste is most comparable to Adyghe cheese. After heat treatment does not fall apart.
Protein content — not less than 7.5 g per 100 g of product. Expiration date: 25 days. After opening the package, it is recommended to store in the refrigerator for no more than 5 days.
| Weight, g | 300 |
| Calorie content, kcal | 55.1 |
| Country of Origin | Russia |
| Compound | soybeans, purified drinking water, 0.04% aqueous solution of calcium chlorine food dihydrate |
- dense texture;
- low calorie;
- natural composition.
- often spoiled ahead of schedule.
With this cheese is usually a lottery — fresh, it’s just fine, but spoils very quickly, even in a vacuum. This is evidenced by bitterness, many complain about it, I also encountered this. It is better to buy the freshest and immediately eat or trust another manufacturer.
Once opened, tofu must be stored in brine to extend its shelf life. To do this, the cheese is best placed in a glass container, filled with water, tightly covered with a lid and put in the refrigerator. The brine must be changed every 24 hours.
How to choose the right tofu in the store
- There is a hard and soft variety of tofu, it is recommended to choose one or the other depending on how you are going to use it in cooking. Firm cheese is best for stir-frying and sandwiches, while cotton cheese is best for puddings, cheesecakes, and casseroles.
- Cheese must contain the following ingredients: soybeans or milk, water and a coagulant. It will be a basic and natural product with a neutral taste, which can be upgraded in your own way by adding spices just before use. There are varieties of tofu on the market with various flavorings — salt, herbs, spices, marinades. It should be borne in mind that they can mask premature spoilage of the cheese. If you trust the manufacturer, nothing prevents you from purchasing such a product, the main thing is to check that the supplements are of natural origin.
- It is quite difficult to determine the freshness of tofu in an unopened package. First of all, you need to focus on the expiration date, and after opening — on the aroma. Fresh cheese has practically no smell, but a pronounced sour or rotten smell indicates spoilage.
- The presence of serum in the package should not scare away. Brine allows you to preserve the organoleptic properties of the product and protect it from the absorption of foreign odors.
- High-quality and fresh soy cheese should have a light shade without yellowness and stains. Too dark cheese with inclusions could be frozen, or production processes were disrupted during its manufacture.
- Don’t be put off by the long shelf life of tofu, up to 24 months. This indicates that the product has been pasteurized and can be stored even without refrigeration. However, after opening, the cheese becomes vulnerable to the external environment, so it must be filled with water and stored in the refrigerator.