THE PREPARATION AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OP TOPU. 211 



as there is no trace of bacterial action connected with its 

 preparation, the name vegetable cheese, is certainly not 

 justified. The constituents, as determined by Kellner, are as 

 follows : — 



Water 89.29 



Albuminoids 4.87 



Non-nitrogenous extract 4.35 



Ash 0.48 



To/it is also sold in another form, called kori-dofu. It is 

 prepared by exposing the fresh tofu tablets to the action of 

 frost, under which they shrink considerably, lose water, and 

 become more compact. While fresh tofu contains, on an aver- 

 age, 89.02 % of water, kori-dofu contains only 15.32 %, in the 

 air dry condition. 



The analysis of kori-dofu gave me the following results : — 



Water 



Albuminoids 



Fat and lecithin 



Non-nitrogenous extract 



Cellulose 



Ash 



15-32 % 

 41-42 % 

 23.65 % 



15-05 % 

 1.48 % 

 3.08 % 



The manufacture of tofu {l) is conducted as follows : — ■ 



The beans are first soaked for about twelve hours in water 

 aivl then crushed between two mill stones until a uniform pulpy 

 mass is obtained. This is then boiled with about three times its 

 quantity of water for about one hour, whereupon it is filtered 

 through cloth. This liquid is white and opaque, exactly like 

 cow's milk; (2) while the smell and taste remind one of fresh 

 malt. Upon standing, very fine particles separate on the surface 

 which, under the microscope, can easily be recognised to be small 

 globules of fat. Its reaction is neutral or very slightly acid, but 

 after standing for several days it gives a strong acid reaction, ow- 



(1) To/11 is manufactured only on a small scale, by people who sell it in their 

 own shops. 



(2) Even continued boiling will not bring on coagulation of the milky liquid, 

 but the addition of an ccmal volume of alcohol yields a flocculent precipitate. 



