A firm variation of tofu was introduced in Tosa Province, today's Kochi Prefecture, by a Korean doctor and prisoner of war following the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598). Tofu was introduced to Japan during the Nara period (late 8th century) by Zen Buddhist monks, who initially called it "Chinese curd" ( 唐腐, tōfu). Illustration of a tofu seller (right) and a sōmen seller (left) by Tosa Mitsunobu, from the Songs of the Seventy-one Craftsmen (七十一番職人歌合 Shichijūichi-ban Shokunin Uta-awase), a poetry anthology written around 1500 Although intriguing and possible, there is no evidence to substantiate this theory beyond academic speculation. The primary evidence for this theory is the etymological similarity between the Chinese term rǔfǔ ( 乳腐), which literally means "milk curdled", used during Sui Dynasty (AD 581–618), for dishes with consistency like yoghurt or soft cheese), later influenced by Mongolian milk products and methods of production, and the term dòufu ( 豆腐, "beans curdled" ) or tofu. Despite their advanced culture, no technology or knowledge of culturing and processing milk products existed within ancient Chinese society. The last group of theories maintains that the ancient Chinese learned the method for curdling soy milk by emulating the milk curdling techniques of the Mongolians or East Indians. Such sea salt would probably have contained calcium and magnesium salts, allowing the soy mixture to curdle and produce a tofu-like gel. Īnother theory suggests that the production method for tofu was discovered accidentally when a slurry of boiled, ground soybeans was mixed with impure sea salt. In 1960, a stone mural unearthed from an Eastern Han dynasty tomb provided support for the theory of the Han origin of tofu however some scholars maintain that tofu during the Han dynasty was rudimentary and lacked the firmness and taste for it to be considered as tofu. In Chinese history, important inventions were frequently attributed to important leaders and figures of the time. While plausible, the paucity of reliable sources for this period makes this difficult to conclusively determine. The most commonly held of the three theories of tofu's origin maintains that tofu was discovered by Lord Liu An, a Han Dynasty prince. Since then, tofu has become a staple in many countries, including Vietnam, Thailand, and Korea, with regional variations in production methods, texture, flavor, and usage. Li Shizhen, during the Ming Dynasty, described a method of making tofu in the Compendium of Materia Medica. This probably coincided with the spread of Buddhism as it is an important source of protein in the vegetarian diet of East Asian Buddhism. : 305 It spread to other parts of Southeast Asia as well. Some scholars believe tofu arrived in Vietnam during the 10th and 11th centuries. Tofu and its production technique were introduced to Japan during the Nara period (710–794). Chinese legend ascribes its invention to Prince Liu An (179–122 BC) of Anhui province. Tofu making was first recorded during the Chinese Han dynasty about 2000 years ago. : 73 The term "bean curd(s)" for tofu has been used in the United States since at least 1840. The earliest documentation of the word in English is towfu, in a 1770 letter from the English merchant James Flint to Benjamin Franklin. The English word "tofu" comes from Japanese tōfu ( 豆腐), a borrowing of Chinese 豆腐 ( Mandarin: dòufu) 'bean curd, bean ferment'. It is also used in the cuisines of East and Southeast Asia, including in Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Tofu originated in China and has been part of Chinese cuisine for over 2,000 years, since the Han dynasty. calcium chloride, calcium sulphate, magnesium sulphate) used in manufacturing. It is high in iron, and can have a high calcium or magnesium content depending on the coagulants (e.g. Nutritionally, tofu is low in calories, while containing a relatively large amount of protein. It is often seasoned or marinated to suit the dish and its flavors, and due to its spongy texture, it absorbs flavors well. It has a subtle flavor, so it can be used in savory and sweet dishes. Beyond these broad textural categories, there are many varieties of tofu. Tofu ( Chinese: 豆腐 pinyin: dòufu), also known as bean curd in English, 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.
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