Breakfast today is a far cry from the old staples of soy milk, fried dough sticks, and pickles. From Cantonese-style breakfasts to Shanghai wontons, there are now at least a hundred varieties. Yet, some people still long for the days of "eating chaff and vegetables," finding a bowl of congee with some pickles and fermented bean curd just as flavorful. However, while both pickles and fermented bean curd are used to "enhance flavor," their nutritional values are worlds apart.
Eating pickles can help regulate appetite, enhance the sense of taste, and provide dietary fiber. However, they also pose significant health risks. When fresh vegetables are pickled, their vitamin C content is almost completely destroyed, making the nutritional value of pickled vegetables much lower than that of fresh ones. More seriously, pickles contain a considerable amount of nitrites, which can form carcinogenic nitrosamines in the body, leaving one with lingering health concerns.
In comparison, fermented bean curd is far more nutritious. Its main ingredient, dried tofu, is a highly nutritious soy product with a protein content of 15% to 20%, comparable to that of meat, and it is also rich in calcium. During the fermentation process of making fermented bean curd, a large amount of oligopeptides is produced, which have various physiological health benefits such as anti-aging, cancer prevention, lowering blood lipids, and regulating insulin. Fermentation also improves the digestibility and absorption of protein and increases the vitamin content. Furthermore, during fermentation, microbes break down the phytic acid in the beans, making minerals like iron and zinc, which are normally poorly absorbed from soybeans, more easily absorbed by the body.
Although fermented bean curd is nutritionally superior to pickles, both are high-salt foods and should not be consumed excessively or for long periods, as this can easily lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and osteoporosis. In daily life, it is best to limit intake to a maximum of 20 grams of pickles or one piece of fermented bean curd per day. If possible, it's advisable to choose low-salt versions.