History of Tofu

While this may or may not be true, Tofu's ancient Chinese origins are beyond question. The people of Asia have been cooking with Tofu for centuries. It is freshly made every day and then sold by street vendors, to be enjoyed as a healthy and nutritious snack, or to be used in the evening's meal, stewed, stir fried, in soup or cooked in sauce.

And yet this Asian delicacy didn't become popular in the West until the 20th century, and is still, despite it being low in saturated fat, high in protein and having no cholesterol, only eaten by a few as a regular part of their diet. But its versatility, taste and texture merit making it a dinner table staple. The key is learning how to maximise its flavour when cooking. The most delicious way is to incorporate it into traditional Asian recipes.

Philip Marshal, who founded Cauldron in 1979, the UK's favourite producer of Tofu, was well aware of its roots and found the inspiration for his company name in the book of I Ching (one of the oldest of the classic Chinese texts): Cauldron symbolises nourishment and rejuvenation.