Whenever we open the tofu package, the tasty smell of it makes us want to eat right away. But, can you eat raw tofu, and is it safe for your health? Read on!

Tofu is a nutritious food that can do wonders for your health. One of the best things about tofu is their delicious smell that can make us want to eat right away. Raw tofu normally smells so much better than the cooked one because we can feel the sweetness of soybeans. But, can you eat raw tofu?

To answer this question, we will give you more information about this food so you can decide if raw tofu is fine for you or not.

Is Tofu Actually Raw?

When we say “raw tofu,” we mean the one that was just taken out of the package, can, or jar, and have not been cooked yet. However, is tofu raw or not?

The answer is, “No.” Tofu cannot be raw because to make tofu, we need to make soymilk first. Soy milk, just like peanut milk, mung bean milk, has to be boiled carefully.

If you have ever tried to make soy milk, you would know the smell of raw soy extract (before cooked) is not delicious at all. Only until we cook it, soy milk starts to have that special smell that makes them delicious.

Raw soy milk, on the other hand, is not edible at all. Uncooked soy milk contains toxic ingredients. If we drink it raw, we will face food poisoning.

This article will still use the word “raw tofu” as “uncooked tofu.” But you need to understand that it is not raw and does not contain any toxic ingredients.

Can You Eat Raw Tofu?

As raw tofu (or uncooked tofu) does not have any harmful ingredients as we mentioned above, so Yes, you can eat tofu right off the package without cooking. In terms of ingredients and nutrition, raw tofu and cooked tofu are the same as they are all made from cooked soy milk.

Even though you can eat raw tofu, there are also some benefits and risks you might have. We are going to explain them in detail in the next section.

Benefits of Eating Raw Tofu

When you eat raw tofu, you will have all the nutritions cooked tofu can give you. Tofu is pretty high in protein with around eight grams of protein per 100 grams. Its protein may even be better than meat for some people because its protein is not as acidic as the protein in meat.

So, tofu will be a good alternative for meat protein for people with high levels of acids in their stomachs. Besides protein, you can also get so many other vitamins and minerals in tofu. Eating a reasonable amount of tofu will benefit your health so much more.

Just like cooked tofu, raw tofu will also have the same level of fat, carbohydrates, and fiber, which can add so many benefits to your health and digestive system. This food is also good for people who do not want to gain weight because tofu contains low fats.

One of the main reasons why many people choose raw tofu over the cooked one is that raw tofu still keeps a good smell of soymilk, and many people fall in love with this smell.

If you are a fan of simple, whole and healthy foods without adding too much seasoning or flavoring, raw tofu can give you a sense of freshness.

Risks You Might Face Eating Raw Tofu

Besides the many benefits of eating raw tofu, there is also the risk behind it. Even though raw tofu is good for you and does not contain any harmful chemicals originally, the tofu making process might make it unsafe to eat raw.

More clearly, not the tofu, but the process itself might be the reason for the risks. To make the tofu have a longer experiment period, some factories or vendors have put chemicals that keep it fresh so they can store it longer.

Those chemicals are not necessary for our health for sure and might be a little bit harmful. However, if we cook the tofu, then the risk will be lowered. When we eat raw tofu, we cannot reduce those risks.

When you buy hand-made tofu from someone without knowing if their making process is safe or not, you might end up consuming harmful bacteria if they do not have a clean tool to make.

While cooking can make the bacteria harmless for you, you cannot benefit from uncooked tofu. In this situation, you might have to end up bringing so much bacteria into your body.

To Eat Raw Tofu Safely

As raw tofu can cause some risks mentioned above, does that mean we should not eat them uncooked? Not really, there are a few ways you can eat raw tofu safely and still enjoy their most natural flavor.

Only Buy Trust-Worthy Tofu Brands

To get the healthiest food for your health, you need to learn at least about the basic ingredients used in food to know if they are good for you or not. Understanding ingredients can also give you the “priority” to choose healthy food brands over bad food brands of any food, not just tofu.

So when you buy tofu, make sure you read all the ingredients to see if the ingredients are fine to eat raw. If you eat hand-made tofu, make sure their brands are trust-worth and have the safety checked.

Store It in the Right Temperature

When you buy tofu, only purchase the ones that are stored at the right temperature. When you buy tofu home and cannot finish it in one go, make sure you keep it in some container with some water. This will prevent them from turning bad.

Wash It Carefully Before Eating

This is the must thing to do. No matter how hurried you are, always wash the tofu carefully before eating.

Conclusion For Article Can You Eat Raw Tofu?

Tofu is rich in nutrition and can be a great protein alternative for us. Even though raw tofu and cooked tofu have the same nutritions and ingredients, you should be more careful when eating it raw.

In this article, we have shared with you important information for the safe consumption of raw tofu. Can you eat raw tofu? We are happy that now you have the answer and can start eating healthily.