ABSTRACT
Sufu (Chinese soy cheese) and stinky tofu (chaotofu) are block-type fermented soy foods. In the manufacture of these fermented foods, sufu utilizes mainly mold(s), whereas stinky tofu utilizes mainly bacteria. Molds multiply under aerobic condition and produce amylase, protease, and other hydrolases. These enzymes then hydrolyze their substrates. However, molds do not grow under anaerobic conditions but can use the enzymes they produced to hydrolyze their substrates. Therefore, under aerobic conditions, molds metabolize through respiration, whereas under anaerobic condition, they conduct anaerobic respiration and metabolize through fermentation. Using molds to conduct fermentation is a combined utilization of these enzymatic reactions to process food.
