Weekly, the Light-Community New Earth, affiliated to the Fraternity – International Humanitarian Federation (FIHF), produces soy milk, soy yogurt and tofu (soy cheese). They are foods made with organic soy, produced without the addition of chemical inputs, pesticides and without genetic manipulation, from the crops of the Light-Community of Figueira.
The process is long, first the soy must be soaked the night before so that it eliminates the antinutrients present in most grains (substances that interfere with the absorption of nutrients by our body). Afterwards, the soy is crushed with hot water until milk is obtained from it. “It is worth mentioning that we have a soy milk extractor machine here that was donated by a collaborator from China,” explain the residents of the Light-Community.
“This machine already separates the milk from the pulp, called okará, which is also used in several recipes,” they add. Once the milk is ready, one part receives the probiotic to become yogurt, and the other part receives a coagulant, which takes the milk to curdle and then is pressed, shaping the tofu.
“To make soy derivatives, every week we receive help from young people in the community, who learn and follow the whole process,” they comment.
Vegetable milk is served warm at breakfast and can be consumed on its own, with coffee or mixed with some fruit. “It is also a great option for different recipes that use milk, as it is rich in calcium, iron and protein,” comments Isabela, a member of the team that prepares the tofu. Yogurt is served plain or with chopped fruit. Tofu is used in numerous recipes for meals such as lunch and dinner in the Light-Community and the okará is used to become part of some crumbs, bread or dumplings. All very rich in proteins and minerals.
Soy milk whey is also extracted from the tofu process, which, with the addition of a few drops of lavender essential oil, is transformed into a nutritious therapeutic bath.
“The tofu preparation process, from beginning to end, is permeated with gratitude, as the richness of derivatives and their nutrients are very abundant. It is a joy to be part of this task,” adds Isabela.
This whole chain of giving and gratitude, which goes from the planting of the grain to the table, is what makes this food nourish more than the material body.
