Reflections | After Hong Kong tofu scandal, recalling the Chinese prince credited with its invention

Soy milk and its derivatives, tofu (or doufu as it is known in China) and fermented furu can be traced back 2,000 years to imperial China

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Published: 8:15am, 3 Aug 2024Updated: 10:28am, 3 Aug 2024

Humble furu, the little cubes of fermented doufu sold in small jars, was in the headlines last month following revelations that Liu Ma Kee, a 119-year-old Hong Kong manufacturer of the stuff, was not totally forthcoming with its claim that its products were “made in Hong Kong”.

Before I go on, note that I’m using the standard Mandarin romanisation “doufu” instead of the Japanese “tofu”. While doufu and tofu refer to the same foodstuff, I’m using the former because I find it strange to use a Japanese name when everything I’m about to describe is within a Chinese context.

Of course, when I talk about the Japanese version of the soybean product, whose texture and taste I actually prefer to the Chinese original, I’d use tofu.

The invention of doufu is traditionally attributed to Liu An (179–122 BC), the prince of Huainan, who is said to have created it in east central China. Liu An, a grandson of the founding emperor of the Western Han dynasty, was also the supposed inventor of soy milk.

Liu Ma Kee recently came under fire for claiming its preserved bean curd was made in Hong Kong. Photo: SCMP

Given his obsession with achieving longevity, immortality if possible, Liu An was something of an expert on health and nutrition. When his mother fell ill, the prince soaked soybeans in water, and then ground them to make soy milk, which he gave to his mother.