<P> Tofu is called tauhu in Malaysia and Singapore . Malaysian and Singaporean Indians use tofu in their cuisine, such as in Indian mee goreng, and rojak pasembor . Peranakan cuisine often uses tofu, as in Penang curry noodles and laksa . Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines are major producers of tofu and have plants in many municipalities . </P> <P> Tofu in the Philippines is an essential in the daily diet, as taho . It is widely eaten as breakfast, or tokwa (a dry, fried variation), which is a staple alternative to meat in main meals and in numerous regional dishes . Tofu was introduced to the archipelago in the 10th to 13th centuries by Song dynasty Chinese mariners and merchants, along with many other foods that became staples of the Philippine diet . The use and production of tofu were first limited to urban centres with influential Chinese minorities, such as Cebu or Tondo, but quickly spread to even remote native villages and islands . </P> <P> Benjamin Franklin was the first American to mention tofu, in a 1770 letter to John Bartram. Franklin, who encountered it during a trip to London, included a few soybeans and referred to it as "cheese" from China . In 1770 Franklin also corresponded with James Flint on the subject of how the Chinese converted callivances (soybeans) into tofu . This is believed to be the first use of the word "tofu" in the English language . The first tofu company in the United States was established in 1878 . In 1908 Li Yuying, a Chinese anarchist and a vegetarian with a French degree in agriculture and biology, opened a soy factory, the Usine de la Caséo - Sojaïne . This was the world's first soy dairy and the first factory in France to manufacture and sell beancurd . However, tofu was not well known to most Westerners before the middle of the 20th century . With increased cultural contact between the West and East Asia and growing interest in vegetarianism, knowledge of tofu has become widespread . Numerous types of pre-flavored tofu can be found in supermarket chains throughout the West . It is also used by many vegans and vegetarians as a source of protein . </P> <P> Regardless of the product or scale of the production, the production of tofu essentially consists of </P>

When did tofu become popular in the us