Since the Qing Dynasty, when Chinese workers who crossed the ocean opened their "minced meat restaurants" in the United States, Chinese food has been penetrating into the West for more than a hundred years through Chinese civilization, and Chinese words such as "dim sum", "chow mein", "tofu" and so on have been used, Chinese words such as "dim sum", "chow mein", "tofu" and so on have been integrated into the daily life of Westerners, and "tofu" has even been included in the Oxford Dictionary.

The classical Chinese civilization of tofu in the West has not only become the signature dish of Chinese restaurants, some Western restaurants have also evolved with the times to develop a foreign-style tofu dishes.

The ancient name for tofu was "peas and beans milk", also known as "Lai Chi", to the Tang Dynasty was formally known as tofu, and has been a tribute several times. Tang Suzong Tianbao ten years (AD 757 years), the monk Jianzhen east to spread the law, the production of tofu technology was introduced to Japan. The monk was honored by the Japanese tofu industry as the grandfather of Japanese tofu; during the Song Dynasty, the technology of tofu was introduced to Korea; in the middle of the nineteenth century, the technology of tofu was brought to Europe and America by Western missionaries who came to China as missionaries. In the twentieth century, tofu gradually developed into a global food.

Clinton eats tofu

Mr. Sun Yat-sen once said, "Tofu is the meat of the poor." Beans are rich in protein, the price is much cheaper than chicken, duck, fish and meat, people can not afford to eat braised meat, sweet and sour fish, tofu, dried beans provide nutritional value is by no means inferior to large fish and meat. Westerners for the value of tofu before the understanding of enlightenment, think tofu, bean sprouts, these things are poor people's "water", where compared to Westerners eat steak, ham and noble. However, in the last 30 years, the situation has been reversed 180 degrees, every day from steak, ham, Americans, began to realize that the lower brown food tofu is excellent health treasure.

Tofu was previously known in the West as "Chinese cheese", tofu was initially translated as "Bean curd", the 1980s Chinese vocabulary all the way to the West, overnight tofu "! TOFU" became very popular overnight.

Not long ago, the British Reuters news agency from Washington, D.C., sent a "secret news" to tell the world that former U.S. President Bill Clinton because of heart disease, "the imperial physician" for him under the "last call! ", must change the gluttony of french fries and hamburgers, requiring him to eat more nutritional health and can inhibit atherosclerosis of the tofu. Clinton's weight of 225 pounds, eat tofu become its weight loss magic. Clinton's "eating tofu" is not a news story that affects international politics, but it expresses a clear fact that, in the eyes of Westerners and Western medicine, the ancient Chinese civilization is so healthy and beneficial.

In October 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration listed soybeans, especially tofu made from soybeans, as a healthy food that "has the potential to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease". As a result, the "eat tofu" trend will prevail in the United States, China's ancient civilization of tofu, with its unique charm conquered the United States, and high protein, high fiber, low calorie, low cholesterol significant advantages, to become the world's recognized health care treasure trove.

According to U.S. market research, sales of tofu have grown at a rate of 17% per year over the past 10 years. In 1999, U.S. soybean products sales have exceeded 2 billion U.S. dollars, by 2005, more than 1,000 U.S. production of soybean products in the factory, the supply of fresh tofu more than 700.

Americans eat tofu has a set of Chinese and Western experience, in addition to copying the Chinese cuisine recipes, but also "research and development" of many Western recipes for tofu. For example: appetizer tofu, salad tofu, tofu, iron plate tofu, dessert tofu, etc., in all shapes and sizes. Some fast-food restaurants have created "tofu roast duck", "tofu cake" and "tofu ice-cream", which are very popular in the United States.

Tofu culture in the West

Tofu eating heat wave in a colorful, Thanksgiving last year, a tofu war had swept the United States. A best-selling comic book series for young and old, "Get Fuzzy," depicted the comic's protagonists, two dogs and a cat, engaged in a fiery battle over whether tofu or turkey should be eaten in this day and age, which drew a lot of excitement from U.S. readers.

The craze for tofu has also triggered a "show" by Western scientists, with scholars and experts coming out in droves in recent years, such as the "Nutritional Value of Tofu Research Report" and the "Tofu's Bodybuilding and Fitness Codex "and so on, a swarm of people in the neighborhood. Specializing in "eating tofu" recipes and how to cook the book, but also a lot of books. Among these followers, there is a unique monograph by Ms. Hegel, an internationally renowned advocate of vegetarianism, titled "Tofu's Journey to the West". In addition to the nutritional benefits and colorful cooking techniques of tofu, the book devotes considerable space to the origins of the bean curd and interesting allusions.

The Washington Star wrote an article about America's tofu craze, saying, "Tofu, like cheese from Europe, has become a favorite food on the American table." Celebrity chef Xiao Telford was excited to work with a tofu chef, searched the community about tofu, compiled into a "tofu big view". After the release of the surprisingly large profit, has been reprinted 24 times, sales of 500,000 copies. In order not to let the chef monopolize the beauty of the famous doctor Barna also published a book entitled "health food - how a new class of food can save your life", the theme of the book is to promote the medicinal value of Chinese tofu. Another writer, Rubens, even more opportune to launch the "Food Revolution" book, the central idea is to tirelessly confess the world: "Tofu is the world's most delicious delicacies."

Chinese restaurant innovation opportunity

Westerners flocked to "eat tofu" in the ascendant, Chinese restaurants in the "ma po tofu", "braised tofu", Chinese restaurants, "Ma Po Tofu", "Braised Tofu", "Salt and Pepper Tofu", etc., have become the signature dishes often ordered by foreigners. However, in order to cater to the lighter tastes of Westerners, the "tofu feast" in overseas Chinese restaurants is less spicy and less salty, while adding a sweet and sour taste. On the island of Maui in Hawaii, a famous tourist mecca, tofu has become a tourist attraction. In the restaurant windows along the island's pedestrian streets, every family has a large glass jar in which a square of tofu, which looks like cheese, is suspended. Many Western tourists are attracted to the dish and sit down to enjoy a meal of tofu.

Overseas Chinese restaurants since the 1970s after a red-hot, to the late 1990s, the competition tends to be fierce, overseas Chinese food to where to go, become the focus of discussion in the diaspora. The reform of the menu to promote healthy recipes has become a generally recognized way out. As a matter of fact, Chinese food has an advantage in the new concept of healthy diet, and there is a lot to be done. In recent years, Westerners have become more and more fond of green recipes, and it is popular to drink more soy milk, eat more vegetables and vegetable oils, and vegetarians are becoming more and more fashionable. If Chinese restaurants can keenly follow this trend of the times, the development of low-calorie, low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-sugar and low-salt new school dishes, and by inviting Western nutritionists, food writers to taste and write columns, to achieve publicity and promotion of the effect of the belief that on the Chinese restaurant "eat healthy, eat delicious," will be able to become the mainstream of the Western community fashion "new favorites"! The "new favorite".