Soybeans are often referred to as beef from the field. In fact, soybeans contain twice as much protein as beef, about three times more calories, and a whopping 20 times more calcium.
Despite the health benefits of soybeans, some people are reluctant to eat soybeans because of their fishy smell, but tofu made from soybeans is an easy food for them to eat. Tofu contains 90% protein, and about 93% of it is absorbed into the human body, making it a food with amazing benefits.
It is presumed that tofu was first made during the Han Dynasty of China. If you look at the document
As soon as tofu was introduced to the world, it quickly spread throughout China. A famous person related to tofu is Guan Yu, the hero of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In present-day China, Guan Yu is revered as the guardian deity of tofu and tofu merchants.
Guan Yu was originally a red emperor (god who ruled the south) who lived in the sky. However, he broke the taboo and helped people in need, but for this he incurred the wrath of the Jade Emperor and was kicked out to earth and turned into a newborn baby. The chief monk of a temple called Bogusa found this newborn baby and gave him to a tofu vendor and his wife who stopped by the temple to raise him.
Afterwards, Guan Yu lived helping his adoptive parents in the tofu business. One day, a friend came to him and asked for help, saying that his fiancée had been kidnapped by a lustful old man named Yeong. Even though she was over 60 years old, she was an old man who was very passionate about women. His methods were truly petty; he poured excrement into all the wells in the village except the one in his own yard, and when people flocked to Yeong’s house to drink water, he selected only young, pretty girls from among the women who came to draw water and humiliated them. Well, my friend’s fiancée was there too.
Even though he committed such an ugly crime, Yeong received no punishment because he was a local official and a relative of the local governor. Guan Yu, who was listening to his friend complaining in tears, could not bear his anger, so he and his friend went to Yeoong’s house, jumped over her wall, and swung a knife to kill Yeoong, who was about to rape his friend’s fiancee, and killed her. I saved my fiancee.
However, when the servants of Yeong’s house, who suddenly lost their master, reported it to the government office, Guan Yu ended up becoming a murderer. Eventually, Guan Yu quit his tofu business, left his hometown, and wandered from place to place. Then, the story goes, he met Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, entered into an agreement with them, and became sworn brothers.
Of course, this story may not be historical fact. Even so, we should pay attention to the background of this tale. What made Guan Yu the guardian deity of tofu merchants?
Guan Yu’s hometown, Haizhou in Shaanxi Province, had a salty pond, so salt could be made without coming into contact with the sea. Therefore, since ancient times, salt merchants who sold salt to and from the mainland of China were active in Haizhou, and because of this, Shaanxi Province, where salt was abundant, was able to produce better quality tofu.
In addition, in a Chinese society that values guanxi (connections), the fact that Guan Yu, a hero and hero who made a name for himself in the world, shared the same hometown was a source of great pride. For this reason, tofu merchants in Shaanxi Province may have made up a story like Guan Yu was selling tofu to make themselves stand out.
Tofu with this story was spread to the Korean Peninsula through the Yuan Dynasty in the late Goryeo Dynasty. If you look at Mogeunjip, a collection of poems by Lee Saek, a poet and politician from the late Goryeo Dynasty, there is a poem called Daesaguguduburaehyang (大舍求豆腐來餉), in which it says, “I sliced some fresh soft tofu. The gap between the teeth has widened, making it easier to eat. There is a poem that says, “You are truly excellent at controlling my body.”
In addition, the Chinese Ming Dynasty soldiers who were dispatched to help Joseon and drive out the Japanese army that invaded Joseon in 1592 loved tofu so much that they requested the Joseon government to include tofu in their food. It is said that they mainly liked dishes such as mapo tofu, which is stir-fried finely chopped pork and tofu.
In addition, the Ming Dynasty soldiers spread the belief in worshiping Guan Yu, the guardian deity of tofu, to Joseon. In fact, since the Japanese invasions of Korea, Gwanjemyo (關帝廟), a shrine to worship Guan Yu as a god, has been established throughout the country in Joseon, and King Sukjong of Joseon himself revered Guan Yu so passionately that he personally held a memorial service at Gwanjemyo.
In addition, Asian immigrants from Korea and China traveled to the United States and spread the tofu culture. In the United States, a food called Tofutti is very popular as a dessert. Tofutti is ice cream made of frozen tofu. Tofuti is made by freezing soft soft tofu and adding cream or sugar to it. When you eat it, it tastes as soft as ice cream. Additionally, tofuti is mainly welcomed by vegetarians who do not eat meat or people who cannot consume milk due to lack of lactose in their bodies.
Tofu, which originated in China, spread to the United States via Korea and was reborn in this new way.