Tofu

Also bean curd, soybean curd. A curd pressed into cakes, made from the milky liquid extracted from soybeans, its name derived from the Chinese doufu, meaning "curdle bean", introduced to Japan in 1212 from China, where it had been eaten for more than 2,000 years. Tofu is extremely versatile, available in firm or soft forms, eaten hot or cold, as an entrée or dessert, and even as a drink. Because it's neutral in flavor, tofu is sometimes called the "chameleon food" because it absorbs the flavors of its accompanying ingredients.

The celebrated Chinese poet Su Dong Po (1037-1101) wrote, "Tofu may be compared to milk, its skin to butter." The skin refers to the boiled soybean top layer, because when bean drink is boiled, a layer is formed on the top like skin. Modern Chinese physicians agree that the Chinese poet had a good point, because tofu is comparable to milk and its skin to butter. A Chinese book written in 1641 said, "Whenever you go to a new place and cannot get used to the foods the local people eat, you should eat tofu, which will give you time to adjust yourself to the new foods." Another Chinese herbal classic dating from 1590 said, "Tofu can eliminate toxic heat from the body and promote blood circulation." When a group of Chinese students went to study in France at the beginning of the 20th century, they brought with them a few expert tofu makers to manufacture tofu in France, which became the first European country to be introduced to it. The Chinese have a saying that tofu is everyone's favorite food, whether young or old, rich or poor, good or bad.

---