Leave it to the brainiacs at the National University of Singapore (NUS) to come up with healthier versions of our favorite culinary vices. From the institute that brought us guilt-free bread and healthy beer comes another breakthrough in tipple technology: an alcoholic beverage made from… tofu.
Oh, and it apparently tastes sweet. All the more to get boozy.
It’s said to be the world’s first alcoholic beverage made from tofu whey — a research team from NUS has successfully turned the liquid waste generated from tofu production into an (apparently) tasty drink called Sachi.
While it remains to be seen if getting turnt off tofu whey will be a hit, Associate Professor Liu Shao Quan and his PhD student Chua Jian Yong from the NUS Faculty of Science affirm that their fermentation technique serves as a “zero-waste solution” to the issue of tofu whey disposal.
“The health benefits associated with soy products, coupled with changing preferences towards vegetarian diets, have fuelled the growth of tofu production. As a result, the amount of tofu whey has also increased proportionally,” said Assoc Prof Liu.
“Alcoholic fermentation can serve as an alternative method to convert tofu whey into food products that can be consumed directly.”
The process involves adding sugar, acid, and yeast to tofu whey, with the concoction fermented to produce Sachi — a procedure that takes about three weeks.
The bonus? Altering the composition of tofu whey through biotransformation methods converts its strong bean-y odor into a fruity, sweet flavor with floral notes. The drink’s alcohol content is about seven to eight percent, which is decent enough for you to get buzzed with copious amounts.
The team has since filed a patent for the Sachi-making process, with plans to collaborate with industry partners to bring it to the mainstream.
