Tofu - relationships between texture and fine structure

Commercial tofus are generally classified as Momen, soft, Kinu, or packed, depending on preparation, texture and composition. A texturometer was used to measure textural properties, hardness, and breaking stress of tofu. It was found that: 1) the density of the network of tofu correlates with the hardness of tofu and varies with coagulant, phytic acid, and reduction of whey during coagulation; 2) the larger the protein granules (aggregates) in the network, the harder the tofu is; and 3) large coagulates prepared in the coagulating process correlate with hard tofu. Various scanning and transmission electron microscope images of tofu are shown