Ben Franklin and TofuWhile in London in 1770 Benjamin Franklin heard an account from a French Jesuit
Ben Franklin and TofuWhile in London in 1770 Benjamin Franklin heard an account from a French Jesuit missionary in China about tofu. Writing to his friend in Philadelphia, a naturalist named John Bartram, Franklin describes how a type of cheese called “tau-fu” was made from what he called "Chinese garavances", garavances being another word for pinto beans or garbanzo beans, obviously referring to soy beans,“I send, also, some green dry Pease, highly esteemed here as the best for making pease soup; and also some Chinese Garavances, with Father Navaretta’s account of the universal use of a cheese made of them, in China, which so excited my curiosity, that I caused inquiry to be made of Mr. James Flint, who lived many years there, in what manner the cheese was made; and I send you his answer. I have since learnt, that some runnings of salt (I suppose runnet) is put into water when the meal is in it, to turn it to curds. I think we have Garavances with us; but I know not whether they are the same with these, which actually came from China, and are what the Tau-fu is made of. They are said to be of great increase.” -- source link
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