The origin of tofu

The origin of tofu

“China is the ‘country of masters’ of tofu.”

“Tofu enriches people’s nutrition, which is a great contribution to mankind.”

When it comes to Chinese tofu, the Japanese say this.

Tell me a joke. In fact, it's not a joke, it's true. In 1963, a delegation from the Chinese Buddhist Association went to Japan to participate in commemorations of the 1,200th anniversary of the death of Monk Jianzhen. At that time, many leading figures in Japan's soy products industry also participated. (Strange thing, right?)

It is said that the reason why they participated in the commemoration was to thank Jianzhen for bringing the tofu making method to Japan when he traveled east. What is striking is that these participants all carried cloth bags filled with various soy products, and the words "Tang Chuan Dried Tofu, Made by Huainan Hall" were written on the bags. (NND, infringement.)

Speaking of Huainan Tang, it is actually a tofu shop in Huainan, China. This name is said to commemorate the inventor of tofu, Liu An, King of Huainan in the Han Dynasty. How could the mighty King of Huainan invent tofu? It turns out that Liu An focused on Huang Lao's skills and practiced them day and night in Huainan. The monk who accompanied him was a vegetarian all year round. In order to improve his life, he carefully developed delicious tofu and presented it to Liu An for enjoyment. Liu An tasted it and found it really delicious, so he ordered it to be made in large quantities. (This became the invention of King Huainan?) In this way, the right to invent tofu is recorded in the name of King Liu An of Huainan. (These monks use invention patents to flatter themselves, so they are monks.)

This is the origin of tofu. However, there is also a legend that when refining elixirs, a little bit of brine is used to turn it into tofu. Anyway, it has something to do with cultivating immortality.

The second legend about the origin of tofu

Huainan King Liu An was the grandson of Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, and established his capital in Shouchun (now Shouxian County, Anhui Province). According to legend, Liu An had no intention of getting involved in political affairs. He dreamed of immortality and was eager to find a panacea, so he summoned a group of disciples in Bagong Mountain and asked them to light a roaring fire and make elixirs with soybeans and salt brine. Unexpectedly, the panacea that Liu An longed for failed to come true, but after the soybeans and brine were processed, a chemical reaction occurred, turning it into delicate and delicious tofu. This is the earliest tofu in the world.

Because tofu is easy to make and rich in nutrients, it quickly spread all over the world. Nowadays, the variety of tofu has increased, and the ways of eating it are more diverse, and it has become a very favorite food of people from all over the world.