Soybean superlatives - response to a reader's question about soy cheese and other soy byproducts - Answering Machine

Vegetarian Times, March, 1996 by Lee Reilly

THERE'S NO CONTEST for the title of Superbean--it goes to the soybean, which may be the most versatile crop on earth. Soybeans can be used to fuel buses, to make ink, and to make both tofu and soy cheese.

The soybean's versatility lies in its composition. Soybeans are packed with both fat and protein; dry soybeans contain about 35 percent crude protein, more than any other unprocessed plant or animal food. It's this extraordinary protein content that enables the soybean to make soy cheese--even the protein-rich kidney bean, which contains between 21 percent and 25 percent crude protein, just can't cut it.

The difference between soybeans and kidney beans becomes apparent during the making of soy cheese, which starts with tofu. In making tofu, the beans are soaked overnight, ground and cooked, then the solids are filtered out. In the case of soybeans, the result is a milk that looks a lot like cow's milk. Kidney beans would fail this step, mostly because of their high starch content. "If you tried to do this with kidney beans, the starches would gel and you'd have pudding," says Lester Wilson, Ph.D., professor of food science and human nutrition at Iowa State University in Ames. In contrast, soybean milk, like cow's milk, is a fat-and-water emulsion, and it behaves accordingly, says Wilson. "Spy protein can be coagulated," he says. "You can make curds and whey."

To make curds and whey, the manufacturer introduces a coagulant, usually a calcium or magnesium salt, to the soymilk and heats it again. From there, the tofu maker separates the curds and whey just as a cheese maker would--by pressing the mixture in order to force the whey out.

To turn the tofu into soy cheese, manufacturers dehydrate the tofu to create a powder. They then reconstitute the powder with other ingredients--including canola oil and bean gum--according to Dr. Kulbir Sabharwal, Ph.D., vice president of technical services at Galaxy Foods, an Orlando, Fla.-based soyfoods manufacturer. To make the finished product, they press the reconstituted mixture into soy cheese, just as they would dairy cheese.

Vegans should note that in order to get that dairy-cheese quality, some manufacturers add casein, a skim-milk protein in a lactose-free form. "Casein is a much higher-quality protein than soy protein," says Sabharwal. "It gives the soy cheese a certain body." Galaxy makes soy cheeses both with and without casein, says Sabharwal, but "the Soymage (casein-free) cheese may not melt as quickly." It functions and eats differently. "It's hard to make soy cheese," he adds. "That's why they keep me around!"