●How many calories per piece of Aburaage (Fried tofu)?

Aburaage is indispensable to Japanese food such as miso soup, Nimono (stewed vegetables), and Inari sushi.

It is often placed in a supporting role in Japanese cuisine and we don't pay much attention to its nutritional value.

In this article, I'm going to explain the calories in Aburaage(fried tofu) and the health benefits you can expect from it!

In addition, I'm going to show you some techniques for eating Aburaage(fried tofu), which is a bit high in calories, in a healthy and delicious way. I hope you'll take a look at them!

How many calories per piece of Aburaage(fried tofu)?

The calorie content of aburaage is generally about 120 kcal per 30 g piece.

As one might expect, the calorie content is high because of the oil used to fry them.

By removing the oil, the calorie content can be reduced to about 90 kcal.

Aburaage is a nutritious soybean product, but its disadvantage is that its fat and calorie content is high because it is fried in oil. Fat accounts for about 2/3 of the calorie count.

By the way, 100g of chicken thigh with the skin removed is 116kcal. It's a bit surprising that a light and fluffy fried tofu has the same calories as 100 grams of chicken thighs, even without the skin.

Surprisingly, the sugar content is low!

Aburaage isn't only nutritious but also surprisingly high in calories. Should we hold off on them while dieting?

It's true that Aburaage(fried tofu) is high in fat. However, the remaining third is almost entirely protein. One piece of Aburaage(fried tofu) contains only a whopping 0.75g of carbohydrates (sugar).

In other words, Aburaage(fried tofu) is a great food for people who are on a carbohydrate diet without worrying about calories. In fact, some people even use crispy Aburaage(fried tofu) instead of pizza dough or crackers.

However, you need to be careful about the seasonings and the ingredients you use in conjunction with them when using them on a carbohydrate diet. Naturally, things like inari sushi and mochi in a drawstring bag!

Cut down on calories by eliminating oil.

There is a healthy technique for eating calorie-rich Aburaage(fried tofu). It is to remove the oil before cooking it.

Oil draining is a method of removing the excess oil in Aburaage(fried tofu). It is a significant calorie reducer than using it as is.

In addition, after a period of time has passed since frying, the oil oxidizes and produces an oily odor, but you can remove the odor at the same time, which makes it more delicious.

There are several ways of oil removal, and here we introduce two methods: hot water and microwave oven.

How to remove the oil with hot water

The way to use hot water is to line up the Aburaage(fried tofu)in a colander and pour boiling water over it.

To remove the grease thoroughly, pour hot water evenly over one side of the pan and then turn it over and pour it over the other side as well.

This most orthodox method requires boiling water, but it is easy to remove the oil even if the Aburaage(fried tofu)is cut into small pieces or a lot of Aburaage(fried tofu).

If you can do it one more time, boil a pot of water, put the fried tofu in it and shabu-shabu it lightly.

It takes a little more time, but you can remove the oil more thoroughly than pouring hot water over it.

If you want to remove the oil even more thoroughly, boil it in boiling water for about 3 minutes.

This method is also used by professionals.

It may take some time, but the oily smell will be removed and the taste will be improved.

How to use the microwave to remove oil

If you don't have time or trouble boiling water, use the microwave.

Wrap the fried tofu in a sheet of kitchen paper and wet it directly in water.

Then place it on a baking sheet and heat it for 30 seconds and you're done.

If you are doing this with multiple sheets, place them in the microwave so that they do not overlap.

This is much easier to remove the oil than boiling water, but the drawback of this method is that it doesn't allow much oil to escape and can cause uneven heating.

In addition, in most cases, only one or two sheets of Aburaage(fried tofu) can be placed in a microwave oven at home, so if you want to drain several sheets of fried tofu at the same time, we recommend draining them with hot water.

What is Aburaage(fried tofu) made from?

Aburaage(fried tofu) looks like a thin bag.

Due to its appearance, it is also called "thin fried tofu," but it is actually made from tofu.

Tofu is thinly sliced and then fried in oil, which is called "Aburaage(fried tofu)". Since the dough is thin, the heat penetrates to the inside of the tofu, making it look like a bag.

In the case of thick fried tofu, which is commonly used in oden and hot pot, tofu is not cut into slices and is then deep-fried. This thicker version is characterized by its ability to enjoy the texture of tofu.

Nutrition contained in Abura-age

Aburaage is just tofu fried in oil, so it has almost the same nutrients as tofu.

Tofu is a high-protein soybean product. Protein is not only a major component of muscle, but also of skin, hair, internal organs and other body tissues, making it an essential nutrient for beauty and health.

Tofu is also rich in other minerals necessary for the body, such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc.

It is also rich in lecithin, which has recently become a hot topic as a health ingredient, as well as soy polyphenols and soy saponins, which are unique to soy products.

Soy saponins and lecithin suppress the rise in cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and are useful in the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases and blood thinning.

Soy polyphenols are said to help prevent osteoporosis and menopausal disorders in women and prostate cancer and other diseases specific to men.

The key to reducing calories in fried foods is to remove the oil.

Aburaage(fried tofu) a soybean product, is a relatively healthy food if you remove the excess oil.

The key is that removing the oil doesn't reduce the flavor by half. If it's going to be healthier, there's no reason not to try it!

Use the oil-removal techniques I've outlined in this article to enjoy delicious and healthy Aburaage(fried tofu)!