At 11:07 AM 6/17/97 -0400, you wrote:
>>I like to substitute tofu for meat in some recipes, but am a little
>>concerned that it isn't the most 'natural' food in the world, and I
>>really don't know how it differs from unprocessed soybeans.
>>
>>Anyone have specific information about possible pluses or minuses of
>>tofu in the diet (in terms of fatty acids, or additives, or whatever)?
>
>well, since tofu is purely fermented soy bean curd, it would be 'off-limits'
>on neanderthin, i think just for the fact that it is a bean, a legume, which
>is a 'don't'.
>

        Sorry, I have to jump in here.  Tofu is *not* fermented - it's
merely coagulated soy milk.  It's made by first cooking the soybeans, then
grinding them up and then basically using a cheesecloth as a sieve to remove
the fiber.  What's left is the soy milk itself!  This milk is then
coagulated using some type of calcium powder or other substance.  Different
things are used for different reasons, health being one of them.  Health
food store tofu is generally made with stuff that may be better for you.
        There is a fermented soy cake product out there called tempeh.  It's
sold in thin bricks, and it's sort of hard and stiff.  It's made from
fermented whole soybeans, not soymilk.  It can be sauteed, or made into
burgers.  It's often used as a meat substitute in things like chili where
tofu would just dissolve!
        Tofu and tempeh seem to have several good things going for 'em in
the general health community, but I'm sure the Paleo-community would
consider them a problem, since they are made from legumes and they are quite
processed.

Harris