Early History
An early written reference to tofu skin appeared in 1587 in Japan in the Matsuya Hisamatsu chakai-ki . The writer, Matsuya Hisamasa, states simply that tofu skin is the film that forms atop soymilk.
Other written references to tofu skin appeared around that time in China in the Bencao Gangmu by Li Shizen. This work was completed in 1578, but not published until 1596. Chapter 25 states:
If a film should form on the surface of soymilk when it is heated in the process of making tofu, it should be lifted off and dried to give doufu pi (literally "bean curd skin") which is itself a delicious food ingredient —First cited by H.T. Huang 2000, p. 303, 323A third known reference to tofu skin appears in 1695 in Japan in the Ben Zhao Shi Jian (Wade–Giles: Pen Chao Shih Chien . This book was written by Hitomi Hitsudai in Japan, in Chinese. When Japanese read the Chinese characters for tofu skin, doufu-lao, they pronounce them tōfu no uba. Lao or uba means "old woman" or "wet nurse".
Read more about this topic: Tofu Skin
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