The first tofu company in the United States was established in 1878. In 1908 Li Yuying, a Chinese anarchist and a vegetarian with a French degree in agriculture and biology, opened a soy factory, the Usine de la Caséo-Sojaïne. This was the world’s first soy dairy and the first factory in France to manufacture and sell beancurd.
Tofu-making was first recorded during the Chinese Han dynasty about 2000 years ago. Chinese legend ascribes its invention to Prince Liu An (179–122 BC) of Anhui province. Tofu and its production technique were introduced to Japan during the Nara period (710–794).
Do you know the history of tofu?
Here is a little history and some fun facts about tofu that you may not have known about this food that we love. Tofu was first made around 2000 years ago in China during the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). The oldest evidence of tofu making is a mural that shows tofu production that was dated to 25-220 AD.
You could be thinking “Who invented the tofu box?”
America’s first tofu forming box was developed in 1975 by a woodworker named Ganesha in Berkeley, California. He sold the perforated pine boxes at local natural food stores and by mail order. America’s first tofu kit was introduced in August 1976 by Larry Needleman of The Learning Tree in Bodega, California.
Where did tofu originate from?
Like many soya foods, tofu originated in China. Legend has it that it was discovered about 2000 years ago by a Chinese cook who accidentally curdled soy milk when he added nigari seaweed. Introduced into Japan in the eighth century, tofu was originally called okabe. Its modern name did not come into use until 1400.
The preparation of soy milk. The coagulation of the soy milk to form curds ( douhua)The pressing of the soybean curds to form tofu cakes.
We learned for other uses, see Tofu (disambiguation). Tofu, also known as bean curd, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be silken, soft, firm, extra firm or super firm. Beyond these broad textural categories, there are many varieties of tofu.
Is tofu the future of American cuisine?
Although America had only recently discovered tofu, some were already predicting that it would play an important and innovative role in the nation’s evolving new lighter, healthier, more natural cuisine.
What is tofu, and is it good for You?
Tofu is a food that is made by curdling soy milk from soybeans and pressing the curds into soft white blocks. Besides being high in protein, tofu is also a good source of manganese, calcium, selenium and phosphorus.