Tofu - online puzzles

Tofu, also known as bean curd, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be silken, soft, firm, or extra firm. Beyond these broad categories, there are many varieties of tofu. It has a subtle flavor, so it can be used in savory and sweet dishes. It is often seasoned or marinated to suit the dish and its flavors, and absorbs flavors well. It is sometimes treated as a meat substitute. As a traditional component of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines, it has been consumed in China for over 2,000 years.Nutritionally, tofu is low in calories, while containing a relatively large amount of protein. It is high in iron, and can have a high calcium or magnesium content depending on the coagulants (e.g. calcium chloride, calcium sulfate, magnesium sulfate) used in manufacturing.

Etymology

The English term "tofu" comes from Japanese tōfu (豆腐, pronounced [toːɸɯ] or [toːɸɯꜜ]). The Japanese word is itself borrowed from the original Chinese equivalent (豆腐 dòufu (pinyin)), literally " bean " (豆) + "curdled" or "fermented" (腐).A reference to the word towfu exists in a letter dated 1770 from the English merchant James Flint to American statesman and scientist Benjamin Franklin.