31

Fermented Tofu: Sufu and Stinky Tofu

Der-Feng Teng, Chyi-Shen Lin, and Pao-Chuan Hsieh
National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan

I.

INTRODUCTION

Sufu (Chinese soy cheese) and stinky tofu (chaotofu) are block-type fermented soy foods. In the manufacture of these fermented foods, sufu utilizes mainly mold(s), whereas stinky tofu utilizes mainly bacteria. Molds multiply under aerobic condition and produce amylase, protease, and other hydrolases. These enzymes then hydrolyze their substrates. However, molds do not grow under anaerobic conditions but can use the enzymes they produced to hydrolyze their substrates. Therefore, under aerobic conditions, molds metabolize through respiration, whereas under anaerobic condition, they conduct anaerobic respiration and metabolize through fermentation. Using molds to conduct fermentation is a combined utilization of these enzymatic reactions to process food. In the manufacture of traditionally fermented foods by the so-called traditional fermentation processes, molds and bacteria come from the spores present naturally in the raw materials, in the air in the manufacturing environment, or on the utensils. These traditionally produced products from this household-type industry have diculty in expanding their production to meet market demand. In order to stabilize product quality, it is therefore necessary to apply specic molds and bacteria through pure culturing techniques. The fermentation technique is then transformed from natural fermentation to pure culture fermentation. A bacterium is much smaller than a mold, and bacteria are not as complicated as yeasts or molds. Even though some of bacteria have similar shapes, their functions can be signicantly dierent. Morphologically, bacteria may have the same shape, but they can be either benecial or harmful. It is therefore necessary to understand their physiological characteristics. The physiological characteristics of bacteria are quite complicated. Bacteria may be classied as aerobic, anaerobic, psychrophilic, thermophilic, and nutrient-selective. Their products are also very complicated. Some bacteria produce spores, and others do not. In general, bacteria that produce endogenous spores are more harmful. The bacterial cells themselves protect these spores. They are heat-resistant during thermal sterilization. A temperature of 110120jC for 35 min under pressurized steam is needed to kill these spores. Under normal pressure and at 100jC, non-sporeforming bacteria cells can be killed easily, but these spores can withstand 30 min under the same temperature condition without much killing eect. Therefore, it is

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

572

Teng et al.

necessary to wait for the spores to germinate and then apply an intermittent sterilization process to inactivate them. When bacteria are utilized during fermentation, their growth is not easily observable compared to molds. Usually, we have to observe physical changes in the substrate such as hardness and mucilage production, or sensory changes in color, odor, and taste, in order to understand the bacterial growth condition. In the fermentation industry, we utilize microbes obtained from pure culture isolation techniques. In principle, the whole fermentation process should be maintained under pure culturing condition. However, in the manufacture of fermented foods, the pure culturing condition is not as critically controlled as in the microbiology laboratory. This is especially true for mold-ripened foods. Mold is used to start the process and is commonly followed by yeast and bacteria. These bacteria and yeasts have a close relationship to the characteristics of the nal product. Even though the presence of some bacteria is considered benecial, their eects on product quality are not well understood. They are considered nonfunctional microorganisms. However, in the case of multi-microbial conditions, these microbes must provide some functions and warrant future investigation.

II. SUFU A. Introduction

Sufu is one of the traditional soy foods made by fermentation in China and Taiwan. Soybean, the major raw material, is processed into soymilk and then to soybean curd (tofu). Tofu cubes are inoculated with fungi and fermented until they are covered with fungous mycelia. Subsequently, they are soaked in brine (or salt is added to partially dried tofu) and aged in the mashes from wine, miso, or soy sauce. Sufu has a smooth and sticky texture as well as salty taste and is also known as Chinese soybean cheese or vegetable cheese. Sufu is also called stinky tofu and has other names in dierent regions. According to the historical records, tofu was rst made by Liu An around 179 B.C. 122 B.C. by adding gypsum to soymilk. Around 1500 years ago, a piece of salted and dried tofu was soaked in the soy sauce mash to make the earliest sufu in history. In 1590, sufu was called ream cake in the Japanese language of the Chinese Herbal Encyclopedia. Homemade sufu is very common in Chinese households located along central and southern coast provinces of mainland China and Taiwan. Nowadays, it is sold in jars manufactured by the industry. In the early 1920s, a sufu market survey in Shan-Hai (or Shanghai) showed several dierent processing techniques used by Chinese people. By the existence of fungi, type of fungi, and mash, sufu can be classied as follows: 1. No fungi added in soaking and aging a. Jen-Nin tofu: predried tofu aged in salt and miso or soy sauce mash b. Sufu: predried tofu aged in the salt and koji 2. Fungous mycelia allowed to grow on tofu, followed by soaking in brine and aging in the mash a. Jiang sufu: Soaked in brine and aged in miso or soy sauce mash b. Red mash sufu: Soaked in brine and aged in a mixture of soy sauce mash and red koji from Monascus c. Wine mash sufu: Soaked in brine and aged in rice wine mash

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Fermented Tofu: Sufu and Stinky Tofu

573

d. Red sufu: Soaked in brine and aged in red rice wine mash e. Flavored sufu: Soaked in brine and aged in the mash that contains olive leaf or aromatic mushroom f. Sake sufu: Soaked in brine and aged in the mash that contains rice sake g. Kwantung sufu: Similar to red mash sufu with addition of hot pepper, anise, and xanthoxylon seeds h. Rose sufu: Similar to red mash sufu with addition of rose mash Sometimes meat, crab, shrimp or sesame seed are added to produce moldy tofu. Mash formulated with alcohol, salt, and spice can also be used for sufu soak-in-brine and aging processes. Sesame oil or food-grade paran can also be used to cover the top of a jar to prevent air contact for better preservation.

B.

Making of Sufu

A owchart for sufu manufacturing is presented in Fig. 1. Medium-size soybean with yellow or white hilum, thin seed coat that are hard in texture, high in soluble protein and low in fat content are the most suitable for manufacturing sufu. Processing steps of sufu manufacturing (Fig. 1) can be divided into four stages. The rst stage is to process soybeans to tofu cubes (1 day). The second stage is to inoculate the tofu cubes with fungi and allow mycelia to cover the tofu cube surface (3 days). The third

Figure 1

Flowchart for sufu manufacturing. (From Ref. 1.)

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

574

Teng et al.

step is to allow moldy tofu cubes to dry with spreading of salt onto it (or brining) followed by thermal dehydration to harden the moldy tofu cubes. The last step is to soak and age the moldy tofu cubes in the mash. 1. Preparation of Soymilk and Making of Tofu a. Preparation of Soymilk Soybeans are processed into soymilk and then into tofu. Fully hydrate the soybean in water until their weight reaches 2.2 times the original soybean weight. Soaking time depends on the temperature of water used: 10jC for 18 hr, 20jC for 10 hr, or 30jC for 6 hr. Soaked soybeans and water in a 1:2 or 1:4 ratio is then disintegrated with a grinder. In order to extract hot-water soluble proteins, more water is added, followed by heating. Protein extraction rate depends on the amount of water added. Optimal amount of water is about 10 times soybean weight. Insucient amount of water will lower the extraction rate; for example, 80% of total protein can be extracted from soybeans and water in a 1:10 ratio, and 35% of total protein extracted from soybeans and water in a 1:5 ratio. A soybean slurry of 11 kg should be recovered from 1 kg of soybeans. The silicone antifoaming agent can be added while heating to 100jC for 510 min. Direct or indirect steam can be applied for the thermal treatment. Heating temperatures lower than 90jC will produce soymilk with beany avor, poor coagulation, and low extractable solids. Temperatures exceeding 100jC will not increase the extraction rate. Properly heated soybean slurry should be ltered through cheesecloths to obtain the soymilk. b. Making of Tofu When the temperature of soymilk drops to 7075jC, warm suspension of calcium sulfate (2.5 to 2.7% by the weight of raw total soybean) is added with vigorous stirring with a wooden spatula. After stirring, the mixture is let set for 10 min to coagulate the soy protein. In Japan, 2% of coagulant is used with less stirring to form bigger coagulated curds for the making of tofu. The making of sufu requires vigorous stirring to form small soy protein curds, which are easier to drain during pressing. Lowering the amount of moisture in the tofu will produce a harder-texture product. Either acidication of the soymilk to pH 5.0 by the addition of acetic acid along with coagulant or addition of 50 ppm antibacterial agent to the soymilk can prevent the unwanted microorganisms in curd molding. 2. Preparation of Moldy Tofu This procedure is unique in sufu processing. The press-dehydrated tofu is cut into 2 cm 2 cm 2 cm cubes. If necessary, tofu cubes can be sun-dried or heat-dried to further remove surface moisture. The dried cubes are laid out in a rice strawlayered container, 2 to 3 cm apart from each other. Several covered containers can be piled up and placed in a warm environment. Fungi from the rice straw will be naturally transferred to the tofu cubes and grow. In 3 to 7 days, mold growth is complete, with white Mucor mycelia covering the surface of tofu cubes (Fig. 2). Homemade sufu uses natural fermentation to produce the moldy tofu. In industrial practice, pure culture is applied onto the surface of sterilized lter papers or bamboo sheets. They are layered with the tofu cubes for inoculation and fermentation in the incubator. Processing time required for the preparation of moldy tofu depends on the fungi strains and fermentation temperature. Rhizopus chinensis var. chungyuen requires 7 days at 12jC, whereas Mucor hiemalis and Mucor silvaticus take only 3 days at 20jC, Mucor praini takes 2 days at 25jC, and Actinomucor repens needs 2 days at 27jC.

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Fermented Tofu: Sufu and Stinky Tofu

575

Figure 2

Molded tofu.

3.

Brining and Maturation

Moldy tofu cubes can be sun-dried to remove the surface moisture followed by brine curing and mash aging. There are two methods for brine curing. One is to soak the moldy tofu cubes in saturated brine that contains 2530% of salt to help the sodium chloride penetrate into the tofu interior. The other one is to spread salt on top of the moldy tofu cubes directly, followed by applying pressure to remove the moisture and eectively dehydrate the cubes. If moldy tofu is cured in high-alcohol-content mash or high-salt content mash, the brine-curing procedure can be eliminated (Fig. 3). There are some products called moldy tofu or salty sufu made only by brine curing and aging for more than 1 month. After brine curing and partial dehydration, the tofu cubes are soaked in the mash for the aging process. Soaking in dierent mash results in dierent avors and textures. Various mash formulations developed in dierent regions show their unique taste and avor. Three categories of mash have been developed: (a) wine mash produced from grains; (b) soy sauce mash or miso, which is made from wheat and soybean; and (c) formulated mash containing alcohol and seasonings. There are many varieties of sufu manufactured with wine mashes. Sufu made with Shao-Shin liquor mash mixed with black bean koji, seasoning, and salt is highly rated. The salt-cured, moldy tofu cubes and olive leaves are layered in big ceramic jars. The jars are then lled with the mash, sealed, and aged for months or 12 years. Some manufacturers inoculate Monascus purpureus or Monascus anka on steamed rice to have red koji mash or Japanese-style cloudy wine mash. The product obtained from red koji mash is called red sufu. The mash in (b) that uses soybean koji or wheat koji blended with high concentration of salt and water for preservation is very salty. The formulated mash in (c) is a modied method for mass production. There are many formulations for the mash; for example, 10% alcohol blend with 5% salt or with 4% salt and 1% acetic acid. Either one of the formulations is good for preserving the sufu

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

576

Teng et al.

Figure 3

Bottling of seasoning tofu.

at 2035jC for over 6 months. After packaging, addition of a layer of sesame oil or paran (food grade, MP 60jC) at the top of the jars can prolong shelf life. C. Changes in Sufu During Fermentation

Sufu is an easily digestible soy food made from hot waterextractable soy proteins in the form of tofu that has passed through the fungal degradation, brine-curing, and mashaging processes. The compositional changes are the result of salted migrating into the tofu cubes. When moldy tofu is converted to sufu, salt and the mash components migrate into the tofu cubes, whereas the soluble materials in the tofu cubes are transferred to the soaking liquid. Therefore, the characteristics of the aging mash will aect the composition of sufu during aging. Protein losses are 5% from tofu to moldy tofu, and 20% from moldy tofu to sufu, respectively (on dried weight basis). Protein degradation occurs during sufu fermentation. In moldy tofu, protein nitrogen decreases signicantly, and the amino nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen increase accordingly. Fungi alone cannot produce of ammonia nitrogen more than 7%, and thus bacteria may have contributed to the increase in ammonia nitrogen. In the nal product sufu, protein nitrogen increase results from the soluble solids moved from the tofu cubes to the liquid and changes the overall percentages. During sufu fermentation, a signicant amount of cystine is lost due to degradation by microorganisms. None or trace amount of cystine can be found in sufu after a long period of aging. D. Product Quality and Compositions

Sufu contains high levels of salt and spices. The nutritional composition of sufu variants sold in Taiwan is listed in Table 1. Sufu contains 6070% moisture and 1217% protein,

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Fermented Tofu: Sufu and Stinky Tofu Table 1 Compositions of Sufu Variants Marketed in Taiwan Rose sufu 60.0 17.0 14.0 0.1 0 9.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.2 0.3 0.3 Tsao sufu 69.0 13.0 13.0 0.1 0 5.0 2.0 1.0 0.8 0.2 0.3 0.3 Red sufu 61.0 15.0 14.0 0.4 0 9.0 2.4 1.6 0.8 0.2 0.3 0.3

577

Composition Moisture Protein Lipid Fiber Sugar Ash Total N Protein N Non-Protein N NH3 N Amino N Other N
a Units by percent. Source: Ref. 2.

Kwantung sufua 74.0 12.0 6.0 0.1 0 7.0 2.0 1.0 0.7 0.2 0.2 0.3

including 6368% protein nitrogen, 1012% amino nitrogen, and 710% ammonia nitrogen. The ash is contributed from salt. Compared to miso and natto, the level of protein disintegration of sufu is low, but further breakdown of protein molecules can result in a avor alteration. Rose sufu is the one aged with rose essence. Tsao sufu is aged in the wine mash added with clove and orange essences. Red sufu is aged in Monascus koji and soy sauce mash. Kwantung sufu is aged in salt, Monascus koji, white pepper, and anise.

E.

Packaging

The critical step in sufu processing is the surface dryness of tofu cubes before fermentation. Covering the tofu cubes with a piece of cloth during sun-drying avoids dust and insect contamination. In common practice, products are packed in wide-mouth, glass jars or in cans. The important step in packaging is that sufu is layered in the jars. The jars are then lled with the remaining liquid and sealed tightly for preservation. Sufu that possess unique aroma and a nice cubical shape and is without surface contamination is recognized as a good-quality product. F. Sanitary Sufu (3)

A modied processing technique was developed by Academia Sinica (Taipei) to produce sufu under more controlled sanitary condition with resultant good eating quality and storage property. Pure mold was cultured on lter paper and used to cover the sterilized tofu cubes. The moldy tofu stocks are ready after incubation at 12jC for 4 days. The tofu cubes are brined in 6% NaCl for a month, then dried to remove the excess moisture at 60jC. Such a product had stronger avor and harder texture than the traditional product. This sanitary sufu could be spread on bread and is stable for storage as cheese. Food-grade paran was melted and used as sufu wrapper that could be peeled o before consumption. Additional plastic lm wrapping could also be used before paran wrapping. Another packaging method is to use CO2 gas to replace air for canning purpose.

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

578

Teng et al.

III. A.

CHAOTOFU OR STINKY TOFU Introduction

Chaotofu or stinky tofu is one of the traditional Chinese soy foods. It is still made by the traditional, household, open-fermentation method. The tofu is soaked in special stinky brines for 46 hr, to conduct the brief fermentation. The stinky brine is made by letting the various ingredients in the brine carry out a natural fermentation with production of a strong stinky odor. These ingredients can be (a) various vegetables such as amaranth leaves, bamboo shoots, and winter (wax) melon, (b) salted mustard brine with shrimp and salted egg brine, (c) sh, shrimp, and animal organs as the main ingredients, or (d) a strong alkali such as ammonia (for rapid method). The principle behind for making of stinky tofu is the utilization of proteolytic enzymes from microorganisms in the stinky brine to partially hydrolyze the proteins in tofu to make the soy proteins more easily digestable. Because it is a still, anaerobic fermentation process, odorous proteolytic intermediate metabolites such as ammonia are produced in the brine, and thus the brine is called stinky brine. These odorous metabolites adhered on the surface of the tofu are vaporized during the deep-frying or steaming process. At present, no pure culture for making stinky tofu is available commercially. Stinky tofu has to be cooked, either by deep-frying or steaming, before consumption. Seasonings include chili sauce, garlic sauce, and/or soy paste.

B.

Making of Stinky Tofu

1. Raw Materials a. Tofu Making Tofu is made by following the procedures described previously in the sufu section. However, a so-called hard tofu with less moisture content is preferred. The recovery rate for hard tofu is only 6075% of regular tofu. Tofu with moisture content less of than 75%, such as dry tofu, is not that suitable, because the nal product is too coarse. b. Stinky Brine Preparation The source of stinky brine starter can be the original stinky brine or mashed raw stinky tofu. Either added to the stinky brine media followed by fermentation for 1 week. Another source is mixed culture isolated from stinky tofu containing Bacillus sp., Streptococcus sp., Enterococcus sp., and Lactobacillus sp. The mixed culture is inoculated on trypticase soy agar followed by 24 hr incubation at 30jC. All the colonies are then transferred into sterilized culture media followed by incubation at 30jC for 30 days or longer to make the stinky brine starter. The stinky brine media can be made by using formulations such as: (a) cabbage (30%, w/v), bamboo shoot (20 %, w/v), tofu (30%, w/v) shrimp (5%, w/v), and salt (1%, w/v); (b) cabbage (30%, w/ v), bamboo shoot (20%, w/v), tofu (40%, w/v), and salt (1%, w/v); (c) a mixture of the above two formulations. The formulations are mashed and sterilized at 121jC for 4560 min. The media is inoculated with 5% stinky brine starter, followed by still fermentation at 30jC for 1 month or longer. A household method of preparing the stinky tofu brine medium is as follows. Use amaranth leaves and mature ginger slices (1:2), or amaranth leaves, mature ginger slices, and salted mustard (1:2:1) as the raw ingredients. The whey collected from making tofu is used to cover the above ingredients, with or without addition of 0.5% original stinky tofu brine. Ferment for 2 months (summer) to 6 months (winter) until the ginger slices can be smashed easily with ngers. Addition of too much salted leaf mustard will make the brine

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Fermented Tofu: Sufu and Stinky Tofu

579

too salty. Addition of bamboo shoot is also practiced, resulting in less turbid brine. Addition of 5% sh meat to the basic formulation is another option. Ammonia is added in the so-called rapid fermentation method. Use of tofu in the formulation will make the brine viscous. The nal product has to be washed before deep-frying. The alternative is to use tofu whey. Another procedure for making the stinky tofu brine is to mash the raw stinky tofu and add it to the stinky tofu media, followed by 1 week of fermentation. 2. The Stinky Tofu Making Process

A owchart for making stinky tofu is presented in Fig. 4. Tofu slices (4.5 cm 4.5 cm 1.2 cm) are put into a plastic container. Enough stinky tofu brine is added to cover them. They are held at room temperature for 46 hr, or at 5jC for 20 hr or longer (Fig.5). The holding period is longer in newly prepared stinky tofu brine, as compared to the shorter holding period in used brine. Holding too long will breakdown the tofu or make the odor too strong. The fermented tofu is then drip-dried at 4jC overnight, at the same time shrinking the tofu (Fig. 6). The stinky tofu is ready for consumption after deep-frying at 150160jC or steaming. 3. Changes During Fermentation

Changes in tofu during the making of stinky tofu have been reported (4). When Bacillus sphaericus is cultured in the brine medium containing meat and sh, the ammonia content in the brine increased from about 100 mg/L to about 3400 mg/L in 10 weeks. During the same period, the pH value dropped from 6.5 to about 4.7 in the rst week and then

Figure 4

Flowchart for making stinky tofu. (From Ref. 4.)

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

580

Teng et al.

Figure 5

Dipping of stinky tofu.

Figure 6

Dipped stinky tofu.

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Fermented Tofu: Sufu and Stinky Tofu

581

increased gradually to about 7.5. The total bacterial count uctuated between a light decrease after 10 weeks of fermentation. In the rst week of the fermentation period, the pH value of tofu slices in the stinky tofu brine dropped from 6.5 to about 4.6 due to the production of lactic acid and growth of the lactic acid bacteria. Thereafter, the protein in the tofu was hydrolyzed by the microbial proteases to form amino acids, followed by the action of deaminase to form ammonia. The pH value therefore increased gradually to about 7.5 in week 10. Ammonia content continues to increase, favoring the growth of more alkali-tolerant bacteria instead of the lactic acid bacteria, with a decrease in total bacterial count (4). Because of this phenomenon, stinky tofu is considered an alkaline, fermented food (5). It is understood that types of bacteria for various formulations will dier. From this particular fermentation, Bacillus sp. such as B. megaterium, B. polymyxa, B. pumilus, B. subtilis, and B. sphaericus, and lactic acid bacteria such as Enterococcus, Streptococcus, and Lactobacillus sp. were isolated from the brine and from the tofu surface. At the beginning of the fermentation, the lactic acid bacteria such as Enterococcus, Streptococcus and Lactobacillus prevailed. As fermentation progressed, the ammonia resulting from the hydrolysis of protein caused the pH value to increase. Therefore, at the later stage of fermentation, the more alkali-tolerant Bacillus sp. dominated. It was found that quality of stinky tofu is better from mixed cultures as compared to single cultures (6). 4. Product Quality In the traditional method of making stinky tofu brine, it is common to use salted leaf mustard brine or rotted, salted leaf mustard, shrimp, and brine for making thousand year old egg or pedan (brine composed of salt, tea leaves, wine, and potash). Fermentation relies on the microorganisms from these ingredients. Therefore, dierences will occur from dierent batches of raw materials with inconsistent quality. In addition, the use of large chunks of raw materials makes digestion by microorganisms a very slow process, up to 6 months. During this period, because of the use of an open system, the brine is vulnerable to insect infestation. In the stinky tofu brine made by the household method, the pH value is between 5 and 7, with 13% salt, and has a total bacterial count of 107109 cfu/mL. Quality is not consistent. With the use of pure cultured stinky tofu starter to make the brine, the making of stinky tofu is sanitary and safe, with consistent good quality. Deep-fried stinky tofu has the following nutrient composition (per 100 g): total solids, 30.37 g; protein, 15.22 g; fat, 11.94 g; ash, 1.07 g; vitamin B1, 0.048 mg; vitamin B2, 0.03 mg; niacin, 0.43 mg; iron, 2.9 mg; potassium, 94 mg; sodium, 58 mg; calcium, 131 mg; magnesium, 47 mg; and phosphorus, 220 mg (7). When mixing new and used brine, the soaking period of tofu in the brine has to be adjusted accordingly. Soaking too long will cause easy damage to the integrity of the nal product, and too short a soaking period will result in a low quality product. Temperature of deep-frying should not be too high; it should be maintained at medium heat. The center of the tofu pieces must be fully cooked with the surface golden yellow. If not, diarrhea may occur. 5. Sanitation Control

In the manufacturing of stinky tofu, the traditional procedure for preparing the stinky brine is to use raw salted vegetables. These vegetables carry the microorganisms that come with them, and thus the process is a natural fermentation. Consequently, the quality is not stable and varies among batches. In addition, this lengthy, open fermentation method to

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

582

Teng et al.

induce fermentative microbial growth attracts ies and insects, which lay eggs that can change into maggots. Pathogenic microorganisms can also grow and are harmful to the consumers. It is therefore important that in the preparation of stinky brine, the medium should be sterilized and followed by inoculation with pure cultures of Bacillus sp. and other lactic acid bacteria to prepare sanitary brine for making stinky tofu. The tofu blocks used should also be as fresh as possible. After soaking in the stinky brine, they should be washed with clean water and left at 4jC for drip-drying. The pretreated tofu can then be deep-dried to become sanitary stinky tofu. Stinky tofu belongs to the alkaline fermented food category. The amino acids in them will not be decarboxylated and form amines. Amino acids will form amines through decarboxylation only under acidic condition. In neutral and alkaline conditions, the deamination process will produce ammonia. Therefore, stinky tofu has a strong ammonia odor. During deep-frying, the ammonia volatilized does not post a health problem.

REFERENCES
1. S Chen, E Wang, P Yang. Source Book of Soybeans and Products. American Soybean Association, Taipei, 1986, p.284. 2. M Nakano. Fermented Food. Kourinzensiyo, Tokyo, 1983, p.100. 3. GC Shiuh. Food Industry. Shyu shyh foundation, Taipei, 1974, p.446447. 4. SF Lee, WH Huang, YC Lin, HH Chou, CH Tang, FL Lee. Alkaline fermented foodsstinky tofu screening and identication of fermenting microora for stinky brine. Edited by the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology. Food Science 26:384394, 1999. 5. SF Lee. Alkaline fermented foods. Food Industries monthly. Food Industry Research and Development Institute 29(8):1725, 1997. 6. SF Lee, CB Wang, PP Chang. Isolation and identication of protein hydrolyzing bacteria from chaw-tofu. Edited by the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology. Food Science 23(1):18, 1996. 7. MN Lai. Production of chaw-tofu. Food Industries monthly. Food Industry Research and Development Institute 9(3):1726, 1977.

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. All Rights Reserved.