Sachi | The world’s first alcoholic beverage made from tofu whey
Patent filed for unique zero-waste approach of converting by-product of tofu making into alcoholic drink. A research team from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has successfully turned tofu whey, a liquid that is generated from the production of tofu and is often discarded, into a tasty alcoholic beverage which they named Sachi. The innovative fermentation technique also enriches the drink with isoflavones, which are antioxidants that have many health benefits.
Sachi | Alcohol with health benefits
The creation of Sachi was initiated a year ago by Associate Professor Liu Shao Quan and his PhD student Mr Chua Jian Yong, who have an interest in sustainable food production. Both are from the Food Science and Technology Programme at the NUS Faculty of Science. “The traditional way of manufacturing tofu produces a large amount of whey, which contains high levels of calcium and unique soya nutrients such as isoflavones and prebiotics. Hence, disposing tofu whey is wasteful. Very little research has been done to transform tofu whey into edible food and beverage products. I had previously worked on alcohol fermentation during my undergraduate studies in NUS, so I decided to take up the challenge of producing an alcoholic beverage using the whey. The drink turned out to be tasty, which is a pleasant surprise,” said Mr Chua.
Turning waste into a tasty beverage
Tofu, also known as bean curd, is a popular food made from soybeans. One of the most common methods of producing tofu is by curdling freshly boiled soya milk, cooling it, and pressing it into a solid block. During the pressing process to remove excess water, tofu whey is generated. However, when tofu whey is discarded as an untreated waste, it creates environmental pollution as the protein and soluble sugars in the whey could contribute to oxygen depletion in the waterways. In contrast, upcycling tofu whey can be a means of generating economic returns for businesses.
Under the guidance of Assoc Prof Liu, Mr Chua took about three months to come up with a unique recipe to make an alcoholic beverage from tofu whey. He first made fresh soya milk from soybeans, and then used the soya milk to make tofu. In the course of making tofu, he collected the whey. Sugar, acid and yeast were added to the tofu whey, and the concoction was fermented to produce the alcoholic beverage. Mr Chua also designed a novel fermentation technique which utilises the tofu whey fully without generating any waste. The whole process of making the alcoholic beverage takes about three weeks.
The team has filed a patent for the novel process of making Sachi, and they are looking to collaborate with industry partners to introduce the drink to consumers.
Website: National University of Singapore
