Comparative Study on Uttarakhand’s Indigenous Black Soybean Variety (bhat) for Tofu Production

Background: Tofu is increasingly captivating the food industry as a milk-based product alternative. Diverse soybean varieties worldwide are harnessed to create various milk substitutes. This study assesses the potential of Uttarakhand’s indigenous bhat variety for producing soymilk and tofu, comparing its commercial viability and quality with conventional counterparts. Methods: The study focused on Uttarakhand’s indigenous variety, bhat and the commercially popular PS-1347 for soymilk extraction. Preliminary investigations were conducted to optimize the process to maximize recovery and minimize beany flavor, grinding soybeans for 6 minutes and boiling for 20 minutes. Tofu was produced using CaSO4 as a coagulant at varying concentrations (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%) and coagulating temperatures (75°C, 85°C, 95°C). Result: Tofu produced from bhat, coagulated with 0.4% CaSO4 at 85°C, exhibited superior acceptability, making it suitable for large-scale commercial production. Its quality matched commercial counter parts, with protein at 16.45%, total mineral at 6.23%, calcium at 152.66 mg/100 g and iron at 14.62 mg/100 g.