 As one of the staples of East Asian cuisine, tofu (豆腐 dòufu) is a food you will definitely encounter on a trip to China. But what is tofu? Very logically tofu is literally named ‘bean’ (豆dòu) ‘fermented’ (腐 fu) in Chinese, as it is made from fermented soya beans. In English it is can also be referred to as bean curd. The first tofu-making was recorded in China, at around the time of the Han dynasty, more than 2000 years ago. The legend tells that Prince Liu An invented soy milk for his elderly mother. She was ill and couldn’t chew her food. At her suggestion Liu An ground up some soya beans into milk, which is step one in tofu-making. As a devoted Daoist, Liu An spent a lot of time and money on discussions of how to attain sainthood and cultivate energy clusters known as Dan. According to another legend Liu An produced soy milk as he believed it would help with keeping Dan. One day the soy milk was accidentally mixed with gypsum powder and the first tofu-like substance was formed. However, some sources discredit this theory and claim that it was the group of monks with whom Liu An lived who taught him the tofu-making process. These Chinese Daoists were said to know ‘alchemical’ methods used to make bean curd from soy milk. As a fairly powerful person of the time, Liu An enabled increased production and propagation of soy milk and tofu, which made him famous for the products. Bean curd didn’t become a widespread, popular food in China until the Song Dynasty (960AD – 1279AD). It was generally only eaten in the winter before refrigeration was available in China as it spoiled too quickly in the warmer months. Traditionally, it is used as a food offering to the deceased, because spirits are believed to have lost their jaws so can only eat very soft food. The spread of tofu to different parts of East and Southeast Asia is believed to be linked with the spread of Buddhism in the region, as it’s an important source of protein in the Buddhist vegetarian diet. #Our teachers # More than 10 years teaching experience Master Degree Certificate for teaching chinese as a foreign language  # About us # Founded in 2007 Chinese test and training center 200+ Chinese teachers 5000+ students  # Contact us# Name:fiona Phone number:021-52287809,13918358891 E-mail:info@mandarinmorning.com www.mandarinmorning.com If you are interested to join Mandarin Morning school or want more details about our services, scan the following QR code. ☟  Mandarin Morning Chinese test center attached to Confucius institute headquarters Authorized Test Center and Training Center for International Chinese Language Teacher Certificater 10 years+ ，200 teachers ，more 10000 students，200+companies  |
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