A Brief History of Tofu

Tofu has a strong presence in our Bothell Japanese restaurant. With our cold tofu dish, our agedashi tofu, our inari sushi, or the fermented tofu of our miso soup, we’ve got what you need to satisfy your tofu cravings. But have you ever stopped to wonder about the origin of tofu, or how it became such a significant part of Asian cuisine?

It’s impossible to know for sure when or how something as old as tofu was invented. Some sources credit it to a prince named Liu An, who lived in China around 160 BC. However, it was common at this time to attribute significant innovations to important political figures. Whatever its origins, it is clear that our modern tofu production methods were standardized as early as the second century, BC.

Tofu probably spread from China along with the rise of Buddhist philosophy. The vegetarian principles of Buddhism made it necessary to provide followers with a meat-free source of protein. Tofu was therefore able to gain a strong foothold in Japan, Korea, and other Asian countries, where it has been a big part of their culinary traditions to this day.