Chinese Tofu Production Development And Spatial Distribution During The Historical Period

The development history of tofu production plays an important role in the Chinese diet culture history, production development and spatial distribution of tofu also belongs to the scope of the study of history and geography. Tofu produced since the Western Han Dynasty period to the Qing Dynasty, after two thousand years of development history, its production has spread across the vast space China historical period. In history, Anhui city of Huainan province to produce this tofu, after gradually development of the Han Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty in three period, and gradually formed the west-east Luxi as the core of the tofu Center: "Lu Yu Anhui river birthplace of tofu production". From the beginning of Song Dynasty, from the beginning of the production of tofu tofu production core area spread to regional scale. The specific circumstances of tofu production into different regions in the development of the communications: the Western Han Dynasty to the Song Dynasty,spread to the eastern area; the Eastern Han Dynasty to Song Dynasty, spread to North Song Dynasty to Ming Dynasty, spread to the South; the Yuan Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, spread to the northeast region, the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, spread to the Northwest region. The area in addition to the main period of their spread, in the rest of the time there are also spread the phenomenon of tofu production. From the perspective of the propagation path of tofu production, can be divided into three paths:the southern route, North West pass route and route. The southern route mainly refers to the Song Dynasty tofu production originated from spread to the South; North transfer route mainly refers to the production of tofu in Yuan and Ming Dynasty originated from spread to the northeast region; West Route mainly refers to the HanTang and Song Dynasties originated from tofu production zone to spread in North China in the Ming and Qing Dynasties in this line continues to spread to the Northwest region. These three lines are promoted in tofu production period Chinese space development. In the production of tofu spread process, in addition to the social and economic development, the people of North South, ethnic migration, immigrant and ethnic fusion and other factors, but also promote the tofu of some special reasons of rapid production, cross regional communication. From the time distribution, tofu production began in the East China region and North China region distribution from the Han Dynasty; Tang and Song Dynasties, tofu production gradually in the South and East China once again extended; yuan and Ming Dynasty, tofu production began to appear in the northeast area; Ming and Qing Dynasty, tofu production has gradually developed to the Northwest region. Among them, the Song Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty is the rapid development of tofu production period, the rapid development of the Song Dynasty is the southern tofu production period of Qing Dynasty, four tofu production in the rapid development period of the country. So, from the view of space,tofu production overall presents in all regions, each of the local situation, but also presents the "East West less", "from south to the north" regional differences. The reason is the region of the nationality have different production habits. China history of farming area and animal husbandry area tradition, the two major economic zones of the people’s fundamental difference exists in the production and life style, also affect an important historical period in the spatial distribution of tofu production factors.Judging from the production process, the production of tofu have certain difference in the global pulp and beans. Because of the long soak beans is related to water temperature. So, in the long soak beans, there are some differences between different regions and different seasons. In the pulp, tofu at the beginning, the use of coagulants is bittern, from the Ming Dynasty began to appear in gypsum tofu records, thus forming the North Point of brine tofu mainly in the history of the south, to the phenomenon of gypsum tofu. Point crossover using slurry phenomenon still exist in some special areas, such as Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei and Jianghuai point using caudate sweetleaf leaf; Shanxi using acetic acid or vinegar lake, Zhejiang, Shanxi use of Physalis alkekengi; Guizhou, southern Sichuan, etc. using magnesium sulfate(Epsom,bitter salt). Different production processes have also formed a different tofu production area, "south, North tofu" two bean curd production areas formed in the early Ming dynasty.Tofu production of the ancient ancestors of the diet and life, and gradually formed a diet culture of tofu. In bean curd production process, from the Song Dynasty began to various bean curd products continues to introduce new, a variety of tofu products appear in the table of people, the area in the style of cooking tofu dishes also formed different characteristics. Tofu in health, medicine and daily life values from the Song Dynasty began to be found, especially in the medical treatment of the value of tofu, in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, people have more understanding. Bean curd in the Ming and Qing Dynasties has become a dual use of food and medicine, in the way of bean curd in various places also have their own characteristics, gradually formed a unique style of tofu diet culture.