Some people consider it dull and flavorless, often associating it with vegan cuisine. However, they are mistaken. Tofu, a tender and quivering block, stands as an entire universe within itself.
The star of vegetarian meals , tofu is rich in protein and low in calories. Let's examine this popular food item more closely, which has its origins in China over 2,000 years ago.
What is tofu?
Let’s proceed to discuss the well-known tofu: a white, glossy, and silky block formed by mixing soy milk with a curdling substance (such as nigari, which is a form of magnesium chloride commonly used in Japan, gypsum, or lemon juice). Although believed to have been invented more than two millennia ago in China, the exact origins remain unclear.
Was it due to Prince Liu An’s experiments with immortality elixirs, or through the influence of the Mongols, who introduced cheese made from animal milk, thus inspiring the Chinese people? The Chinese had recently developed the seed press, allowing for the production of vegetable milk. Until then, soybeans were cultivated like cereals despite being legumes and hadn’t gained much popularity except when fermented into dishes such as doubanjiang, miso, or soy sauce. Even after extensive cooking, they remained unappealing and caused severe digestive issues. However, one day, this valuable liquid was curdled, preserved, compressed, and shaped, transforming its nature entirely. voilà !
A calorie-reduced wonder with an extensive past
Tofu, a nutritious food with low calories but high protein content, gained popularity in Asia largely due to Buddhism’s advocacy for vegetarianism. However, how did this delicacy make its way into Western cuisine? The earliest reference to tofu appears in the documents written by a 17th-century Spanish missionary who was not particularly fond of it; he dismissed it as "tasteless" and likened it to "cheese made from peas," attempting thereby to relate it to familiar foods known at his time.
The concept originated from Li Yuying, a Chinese enthusiast of French culture, who established the globe’s initial soy-derived "dairy product" facility in La Garenne-Colombes back in 1909. This enterprise crafted tofu infused with flavors reminiscent of Camembert or Roquefort cheeses, alongside roasted soy beverages and loaves of bread utilizing soy flour. Such innovation marked a significant departure—moreover, Li circulated anarchist publications and engaged Chinese students harboring socialist views, among them an early-stage Deng Xiaoping... Ahead of its time, the venture shuttered within ten years, leaving France oblivious to its nascent craving for tofu.
Can choosing tofu be considered a political decision?
In the USA, it was the hippie revolution of the 1970s that found in tofu a way to save the world. Frances Lappé, an academic from Berkeley, explains in her now cult pamphlet, Diet for a Small Planet, that the American farmland used to grow soybeans for animals could feed the entire planet, and that this same soybeans would be an advantageous replacement for animal proteins. Buddhist, anarchist, hippy… tofu is seen as a political, ecological and spiritual choice - for better or for worse. But our mild-tasting, slightly sweet, subtle and divine white cube deserves to be enjoyed for its own sake.
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