Tofu
A Culinary History
Russell ThomasReviled for decades, this is the comeback of the brave, wobbly block – tofu.
To the untrained eye there’s nothing as unexciting as tofu, normally regarded as a tasteless, beige, congealed mass of crushed, boiled soybeans. However, tofu more than stands up on its own. Reviled for decades as a vegetarian oddity, the brave, wobbly block has made a comeback.
This global history of bean curd stretches from ancient creation myths and tomb paintings, via Chinese poetry and Japanese Buddhist cuisine, to deportations in Soviet Russia and struggles for power on the African continent. It describes the potentially non-Chinese roots of tofu, its myriad types, why ‘eating tofu’ is an insult in Cantonese, and its environmental impact today.
Warning: this book actually makes tofu exciting. It’s anything but bland.
Reviled for decades, this is the comeback of the brave, wobbly block – tofu.
To the untrained eye there’s nothing as unexciting as tofu, normally regarded as a tasteless, beige, congealed mass of crushed, boiled soybeans. However, tofu more than stands up on its own. Reviled for decades as a vegetarian oddity, the brave, wobbly block has made a comeback.
This global history of bean curd stretches from ancient creation myths and tomb paintings, via Chinese poetry and Japanese Buddhist cuisine, to deportations in Soviet Russia and struggles for power on the African continent. It describes the potentially non-Chinese roots of tofu, its myriad types, why ‘eating tofu’ is an insult in Cantonese, and its environmental impact today.
Warning: this book actually makes tofu exciting. It’s anything but bland.
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Thomas’s encyclopedic culinary history reveals a history and archeology of meaning that stretches back millennia, well before tofu became the imagined domain of eco-warriors and hippie co-ops . . . Far from leaving me sated, the enticing descriptions of tofu, chilled, stewed, fermented, fried, and made into everything from ice cream to mozzarella shreds, launched me on a tofu-eating bender that has yet to subside. Tofu skeptics, consider yourselves warned.
'Petits Propos Culinaires
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Tofu will dispel any ideas that this vegetarian food can be called bland. Russell Thomas takes us on a historical journey about the introduction of tofu into our food chain – covering a myriad of diverse and interesting topics . . . a well-researched book, full of wonderful facts with many pictorial illustrations to keep the reader interested all the way through including a very interesting recipe section at the end of the book . . . Tofu will change your perspective of tofu forever and hopefully encourage you to incorporate this delicious ingredient into your culinary repertoire.
'Foodie Explorers
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Russell Thomas’s Tofu: A Culinary History is a wonderfully quirky discourse on the subject. For readers who have a penchant for anecdotal history and love tofu – or those interested in discovering more about it – Thomas's well-researched, imaginatively conceived mini-tome is sure to delight!
'Elizabeth Andoh, author of six books on Japanese cooking, including Washoku, and director of the culinary programme A Taste of Culture, Tokyo
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I loved the journey Tofu: A Culinary History took me on. From its beginnings in Asian kitchens to its often misunderstood status in the West, this book celebrates tofu’s versatility and benefits. It’s packed full of knowledge and passion. As a food enthusiast and educator, I savoured every page!
'Sam Linford-Platt, COOK! with the vegetarian society
Introduction
1 Liu An and liqi: Ancient Origins of Tofu
2 What’s that Smell? Preserving Tofu and Its Byproducts
3 Spreading the Curd: How Tofu Travelled the World
4 Tofu’s Journey to the West
5 ‘Eating Tofu’ and Its Place in Culture
6 Tofu Inc., the Business of Bean Curd
Glossary
Recipes
Select Bibliography
Websites and Associations
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index
Russell Thomas is an author and journalist currently based in Tokyo. His writing has appeared in the Japan Times, The Guardian and South China Morning Post, among others.