Step 1 : Introduction to the question "Who introduced tofu to America?"
...While visiting in London, the ever-curious Benjamin Franklin discovered a dish featuring what he described as "a cheese" from China. He sent a sample of the cheese-like curd made from Chinese garavances - what would become known as soy beans in America. In his letter that accompanied the sample to his friend John Bartram in Philadelphia, Franklin gave the earliest known description of tofu to reach the New World. While in London, Franklin learned about the different foods eaten in other cultures, including in China. The popular Chinese foodstuff that Franklin dubbed "teu-fu" fascinated Franklin. Soybeans would eventually find their way to American farmers' fields. Source: SmithsonianMag.com
