Kimono
- Published 2015.8.25
History of Tofu
Tofu actually originated in China and researchers say that its production began sometime during the Han dynasty, in the second century B.C. The first people to write about tofu were Chinese writers somewhere around 900 AD. It has been said that tofu was brought to Japan during the Nara period (710-794) by Japanese Kento priests who went to practice Buddhism in China. As tofu was only enjoyed by the aristocracy, Japanese farmers were only allowed to eat tofu on special occasions such as Obon Festival and New Year's Day in the early Edo period.
Surprisingly, 90% of Japan's imported soybeans are produced in the United States. Thus, tofu is technically a blend of American and Japanese soybeans. Japan relies on soybeans imported by the U.S. not only for tofu production but for other soybean traditional food such as miso, soy sauce and natto.
In recent years, Tofu is not only consumed in Asia but brought to attention in the West. Throughout the world, there is a growing vegetarian population so tofu has become an essential world-wide superfood. A lot of restaurants offer vegetarian menus and typically, tofu is a replacement for meat or fish.
