Tofu?
I always wondered why tofu tastes like plaster of Paris when eaten untrated. It is well-known that a good chef can turn tofu in some kind of imitation foodstuff, still, most cooks (especially those of cultures in which tofu is not a part of the traditional fare) fail trying.
Tofu might be responsible for the misconception that most vegetarian meals are either bland or inedible for some other reason.
...but I digress.
Why does tofu taste like plaster ?
Because - believe it or not - it is most likely made using plaster...
I will spare you the steps in preparing soy milk from soy beans, but to make tofu, you basically take soy milk and add either magnesium chloride (Reilly Industries offers magnesium chloride solutions for dust control, anti-icing, chemical intermediates and specialty fertilizer products) for the Japanese version or calcium sulfate aka gypsum aka plaster of Paris (when dehydrated).