TOFU TALK

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Discover the soybean miracle

By Marilen Fontanilla

“Chefs see a continuing trend of guests looking for food that hasn’t had much done to it — that’s been grown with minimal pesticides, fertilizers and antibiotics, and that hasn’t had much added to it after harvest.”

What’s Hot 2016 Culinary Forecast by the National Restaurant Association

The dining public has matured a lot in the past few years, evolving from simpler requests to stringent demands with their food. This is most evident when it comes to ingredients, its production and food safety standards. Knowing the company behind the product can go a long way towards allaying fears and concerns.

Perhaps one ingredient that has received mixed sentiments would be soybean products, such as tofu and taho, due to certain rumors attached to its production. “We launched the company at the time when there was so much news about this whole unsanitary and unhygienic way of making tofu and taho. There were rumors of vendors adding plaster of Paris and using beans not fit for human consumption. Tofu and taho are food I grew up with and I wanted a supply that was safe and clean,” shared Renato Reyes, Miracle Soybean Food President.

Miracle Emperor’s Tofu has the firm variant, which is thicker and can be diced up as an alternative to meat. This includes Tokwa (firm), for grilling or searing, baking, or as tofu steak and Toho (medium) for stir-fried dishes, entrees, deep frying, pan frying. Chef Jessie used the toho to create “pasta”, grating and cooking it for the base of a Bolognese. — Miracle Emperor’s Tofu has the firm variant, which is thicker and can be diced up as an alternative to meat. This includes Tokwa (firm), for grilling or searing, baking, or as tofu steak and Toho (medium) for stir-fried dishes, entrees, deep frying, pan frying.

Miracle Emperor’s Tofu Pasta Bolognese — Chef Jessie used the toho to create “pasta”, grating and cooking it for the base of a Bolognese.

Miracle Soybean Food has been in the soy business since 1997, one of the leading manufacturers of soy-based products in the country and was established as a response to the absence of a trustworthy source of soy-based products. It is licensed to operate by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and has a semi-automated plant, so the products hardly have any human contact, protecting them from contamination. “We implement GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) and HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) systems to ensure that all products are of the highest quality and consistently produced. We follow a very intensive sanitation process. Nobody can enter the production plant without head-to-toe full gear of boots, gloves, and masks,” described Cielo Reyes, Miracle Soybean Food Vice-President and Director for Marketing. Sourcing is also critical, and in Miracle’s case, their products are made from premium, high-quality, 100% food grade, and non-GMO (genetically modified organism) soybeans. “Our soybeans are directly imported from the US and have been inspected and verified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA),” claimed Cielo. “Buyers should be wary of vendors who use feed grade, beans that are meant for animals,” she pointed out.

Miralce Emperor’s soft tofu has a smooth, silky texture. Perfect for blending with other food because of its creamy consistency. It is frequently used to replace higher fat options like cream cheese and all-purpose cream. They have Chinese tofu (soft) for entrees, salads, side dishes, soups, steamed dishes and Japanese Silken tofu (soft) that blends well for sauces and dips, thickener for soup. — Miracle Emperor’s soft tofu has a smooth, silky texture. Perfect for blending with other food because of its creamy consistency. It is frequently used to replace higher fat options like cream cheese and all-purpose cream. They have Chinese tofu (soft) for entrees, salads, side dishes, soups, steamed dishes.

Miracle Japanese Silken Tofu Miso Soup — Japanese Silken tofu (soft) blends well for sauces and dips, and can be used as a thickener for soup, such as the Miso soup that Chef Jessie made.

SOY GOOD

“Based on reports from the United States Soybean Export Council Southeast Asia, soy products have long been appreciated as an excellent source of protein, the quality of soy protein is actually equal to animal protein,” assured Cielo. Studies have also shown that soy products may help reduce the risk of heart disease, developing cancer, cholesterol build up, and lower the occurrence of gall bladder stones. In addition, they help alleviate effects of menopause, control diabetes and prevent Osteoporosis. In fact, the soybean has been dubbed as the ‘miracle bean’ because of all its health benefits. Soy-based products are not only for vegans and vegetarians, although the market is steadily increasing for this particular dining segment. Countries like Japan, Korea and China have incorporated it in their cuisine for nuanced and balanced diet.

Miracle Soya Milk is cholesterol-free and contains water soluble proteins and carbohydrates. It is excellent for smoothies and is available in eight flavors -- vanilla, classic, unsweetened, chocolate, melon, ube, strawberry, and vanilla with L-Carnitine. New flavors in the pipeline for 2016 are Almond, Caramel and Green Tea — Miracle Soya Milk is cholesterol-free and contains water soluble proteins and carbohydrates. It is excellent for smoothies and is available in eight flavors — vanilla, classic, unsweetened, chocolate, melon, ube, strawberry, and vanilla with L-Carnitine. New flavors in the pipeline for 2016 are Almond, Caramel and Green Tea

TOFU TIPS

“When buying tofu, you should look at the color, it should be white to light yellow, it should not have a sour odor and the color of the water should be clear to just slightly cloudy. You can tell the concentration of soy in the density. If there are a lot of airpockets then it’s not of good quality,” explained Cielo. “Our tofu products not only taste better, but are also more shelf-stable, some variants last as long as 30 days; unlike tofu from the wet market that will only last for 2 to 3 days.”

Miracle Tofu Sisig (in original and spicy variants) is perfect for those on-the-go. Healthy and easy! All you need to do is heat it up in a pan or a microwave. It may also be served with fried egg, topped with garlic and chicharon bits. The Miracle Tofu Meals line is expanding soon with tofu burger and tofu balls. — Miracle Tofu Sisig (in original and spicy variants) is the perfectly healthy and easy option that can also be served with fried egg, topped with garlic and chicharon bits. The Miracle Tofu Meals line is expanding soon with tofu burger and tofu balls.

The foodservice industry has already discovered Miracle’s range of soy-based products. Some of the country’s largest food chains rely on the company for their supply. Chef Jessie Sincioco displayed this during the press conference held at Chef Jessie’s with a menu made from the soy-based products of Miracle.