In the end there is tofu, but before that you can also have tonyu (soymilk) and okara (soybean pulp).
Tonyu
If you want to make tonyu , which is soymilk, simply strain cooked soybeans in a colander lined with tightly woven cotton cloth. The liquid draining is soymilk. You can add sugar to sweeten.
Tofu
Tofu is soy bean curd, made from coagulated soymilk (check out our recipes to see how it’s made!).When you buy tofu at the store, it will always be submerged in cold water and be a cube with a milky white colour. You can normally choose the firmness and texture of your tofu, as it ranges from silky and soft (called kinu) to firm (momen). Momen tofu is more nutritious as the soy milk (tonyu) has been more compacted and contains less water than the silkier and softer varieties. Another variety of tofu is silken, called kinugoshi. Curds and whey are not seperated in this type of tofu, resulting in a softer, silkier texture much like custard.
Koya dofu or kogori dofu is tofu that has been freeze dried, resulting in a spongy texture and brownish colour. It is great stewed in broths, as it sucks up the flavours of the broth without breaking apart.
The word momen is the name of the cotton cloth with which the tofu is compressed in, leaving a fine pattern on the surface of the tofu. You can look carefully next time you buy tofu, to see the difference in surface texture between the smooth cut side and the outer side.
Tofu comes in other forms, however, when it has been deepfried or dried.
Whenever you purchase tofu, you should rinse it under a soft stream of cold water to rinse off any impurities. You can also boil it, then chill, to destroy harmful bacteria. Always keep fresh tofu submerged in cold water, and change the water once a day to keep from perishing.
In the west, tofu has become a popular alternative to meat because of its high protein content. However, it is not recommended to completely replace meat if you are an omnivore, as its delicately subtle flavour will never replace a good piece of meat!
Okara
Okara is a tofu by product. When the soybean milk is strained from the cooked soybeans, a pulp is left in the strainer. This is okara, and can also be eaten. It can be combined with soy sauce and sesame oil, and cooked with julienned carrots and burdock.