Regions where tofu is eaten

At present, the regions where tofu is eaten cover China through to the Korean Peninsular, Japan, and also South East Asia. Japan and China use the same Kanji characters to write “Tofu”. Tofu is pronounced “Tobu” in the Korean Peninsular, “To-fuu” in Myanmar and “Tofu” in Java. Although there are some differences in pronunciation due to language/dialect, it is clear that the same name is being used throughout these regions.

Although it is generally acknowledged that tofu originated in China, when and where it was first conceived, and by whom, is not known.

A search through ancient Chinese texts reveals a statement written some two thousand years ago to the effect that Prince Liu An of Huainan was the creator of tofu. The statement, “The method for making tofu was originated by Prince Liu An of Huainan”, can be found in the “Pen-Tsao Kang-Mu” (Bencao Gangmu) written by Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty. In today’s terms, this book is an encyclopedia, and it was an essential read for the intellectuals of the time. The fact that this statement is found in this famous book is considered to be the reason for the dissemination of the “Tofu/Prince of Huainan Theory”. Although many other texts mention the “Prince of Huainan Theory”, some doubts still remain.

The raw ingredient of tofu, the soybean, was not available in China at the time of Prince Liu An. The soybean was introduced into China half a century later.

Furthermore, Prince Liu An, a renowned scholar, wrote many literary works such as the “Huainanzi” book of philosophy, but none of these contain the word “Tofu”. However, various terms that include “Huainan” in China are still used as a substitute term for tofu due to the influence of the “Pen-Tsao Kang-Mu”.

Consequently, the origin of tofu is still unclear. However, if you trace an imaginary path culminating in the production of tofu, you can reason that in the course of experimenting with ways of eating the nutrient rich soybean, people discovered through experience that soy milk was easiest to digest, and as they added salts and flavorings, tofu was born. In other words, the current production technique was not a result of the first attempt and today’s tofu gradually resulted from much experimentation and experience.