“Tofu” (or doufu, Chinese Pinyin spelling), also known as bean curd, is a food of Chinese origin, typically found on menus of Asian restaurants. I’m sure that many people will associate tofu as a Chinese word, but interestingly enough it is a Japanese word (fun fact!)
Anyway, how was tofu first made? Think of it like this. Back in the day in Europe, a land teeming with farm animals like cows, sheep, goats, you name it, milk was easily acquired and consumed daily. From the milk, so many other food products could be made. Filter out only the fat? You make butter. Coagulate all the protein? You get cheese. Making tofu is a similar deal. From soy beans that are dried, ground then pureed with water, and mixed with a little unrefined sea salt, natural curds of plant based protein would form. There are multiple theories surrounding the first development of tofu, but the most believable to me is the Mongolian Import Theory. The theory states that the method of tofu was adapted from the Mongolians with their cheese-making process from goat milk. The Chinese also did not originally raise cows or goats for milk. With a limited familiarity with the curdling process, it is more believable that they would have learned from the Indians or the nomadic Mongolian tribes, both of whom were deft in making cheeses and the like. But again, there is little evidence that any of these theories are actually true.
There goes some facts for today. I hope you enjoyed some historical knowledge! Tune in next time for some of the different kinds of tofu that we eat today!