Beancurd skin or fuchuk is one of the earliest forms of plant-based protein around, and a commonplace ingredient in many types of Chinese cuisine and desserts.
Fuchuk is usually processed and sold dry, and one of the industry’s major challenges has been the need for fuchuk to be soaked for extended periods — such as overnight or from morning until evening — before it can be cooked.
This means that fuchuk has traditionally not been the most convenient food ingredient around, limiting its use in some cases — but Chinese firm Wu Xian Zhai believes that it has found a way around this challenge.
“Our proprietary technology developed in conjunction with local experts has enabled the creation of what we have named as the Soybean Milk Fuchuk range of products, where the fuchuk can be used instantly without the need for extended soaking,” Wu Xian Zhai manager Jiang Meiyan told us at the recent FIC 2026 show in Shanghai, China.
“This means it can be used directly in dishes such as hotpots where it can be eaten in just two minutes, blanched in hot water for just three minutes for use in frying or desserts.”
The Soybean Milk Fuchuk range comprises of three products, each of which carry different functional benefits.
“Today’s consumer fully expects that the food items they purchase must already come with health or nutritional benefits. This is no longer a plus point but a necessity, in addition to the ingredient list being as clean as possible,” she added.
“Our range has zero additives and is very much a clean label product containing just soybeans and water as the base ingredients. That makes up the Original flavour, and in addition we add spinach for the Spinach flavour which gives a green coloured fuchuk, and cactus fruit for the Cactus Fruit flavour which gives a pink fuchuk.”
Cactus fruit, or prickly pear, is known to have high antioxidant content, and contribute to better digestion as well as reduced inflammation in the body. Spinach is high in calcium, and is regularly recommended for children and pregnant women.
“These added functional benefits, in addition to the high protein content already found in soybeans as well as the pleasing product colours, really helps to attract consumers,” Jiang added.
“We can also say that our tech, which involves an improved three-dimensional grinding process combined with blending, has enabled this fuchuk to be much smoother than most others on the market today, and this texture is also a big draw.”
Beancurd sustainability
Wu Xian Zhai’s innovation has an additional advantage that is less advertised but very crucial nonetheless, which is an incredibly sustainable production chain compared to regular soybeans.
“What happens for us is that we are now able to use all parts of the soybean other than the skin, which greatly reduces the generation of food waste,” Jiang said.
“This also means that we are able to maintain much more of the original nutrients found in soybeans, as nothing is lost along the way.”
Fuchuk production involves lifting away a top sheet that forms on the surface of heated soy milk, and Wu Xian Zhai’s process is crucial to improving sustainability at the soy milk stage, which traditionally involves not only removing the skin of soybeans but also discarding soybean pulp after the soy milk is extracted.
