Yuba (Tofu Skin)
Food · Legume · Food, Typed Supps
Yuba is the skin that forms on hot soy milk — dried and eaten, it's one of the most protein-packed plant foods around.
Stage by stage
- Chew & Swallow (Mouth): Chewing breaks the delicate, layered soy protein-lipid sheets into smaller pieces, releasing a mild, nutty flavor as saliva begins moistening the food.
- Acid Breakdown (Stomach): Stomach acid and pepsin begin denaturing yuba's densely packed soy proteins, unwinding them so digestive enzymes can act on individual amino acid chains.
- Absorb Nutrients (Small Intestine): Pancreatic enzymes finish breaking the proteins into amino acids and peptides, while soy isoflavones, iron, calcium, and B vitamins are absorbed across the intestinal wall.
- Fuel Tissues (Muscles): Absorbed amino acids circulate to muscles and other tissues for repair and maintenance, while isoflavones pass through the liver for metabolism before entering general circulation.
Timing
Soy is a major food allergen and yuba should be avoided by anyone with a known soy allergy; people on thyroid medication like levothyroxine should also space soy protein intake a few hours from their dose, since soy can reduce its absorption.
Time to effect
- Weeks: A single serving provides protein-related satiety within about an hour, but measurable effects on muscle mass or blood lipid markers from regular soy protein intake typically take several weeks of consistent consumption.
Allergens
Contains: Soya. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.
Eating patterns
Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Keto, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Low-FODMAP.
Satiety
105 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — moderate. Modelled from the Holt et al. (1995) measurements.
Environmental footprint
3.2 kg CO2e and 149 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Tofu" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.
Cost band
Mid — roughly £7 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.
Key nutrients
Nutrition per 100g
- Calories: 530
- Protein: 50.4g
- Carbohydrate: 7.2g
- of which sugars: 1g
- Fat: 32.1g
- of which saturated: 4.6g
- Fibre: 3g
- Sodium: 12mg
Food vs. supplement
Yuba delivers complete soy protein, isoflavones, iron, and calcium together as a whole food, unlike isolated soy protein powders or isoflavone supplements, which strip out that natural nutrient matrix.
Kitchen tip
Dried yuba needs a warm-water soak to rehydrate before cooking; fresh yuba is ready to eat and is best used within a few days when refrigerated.
Common myth
"Tofu skin is just a discarded byproduct with barely any nutrition." In reality: Yuba is the concentrated soy protein-lipid film skimmed from heated soy milk, so on a per-gram basis it is notably more protein-dense than standard tofu — dried yuba is commonly reported around 50 g protein per 100 g, versus roughly 8-17 g per 100 g in typical tofu — along with meaningful iron, calcium, and soy isoflavones, and it contains no cholesterol.
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