Tofu, Tu Fu, and Other Chinese Things

I made tofu and green beans for dinner today, with an accompaniment of jasmine rice, of course. My children, who aren't really steeped in Chinese culture in any other way, love Chinese food. They especially love tofu. I think it's partly because of the smooth texture of the bean curd, but also because of its ability to pick up the flavor of whatever it is being cooked with.

Tofu's subtlety and adaptability is emblematic of Chinese culture. Chinese poetry, for example, aims to illicit a mood and paints a picture, and sublety is highly valued. Not to be confused with the similar-sounding food, Tu Fu (712-770), the great Tang Dynasty poet, was known for his delicate language and intellectualism. Here's an example of his skill in creating beautiful imagery using the simplest of words and rhythmns:

Welcome Rain One Spring Night

A good rain knows its season
And comes when spring is here;
On the heels of the wind it slips secretly into the night,
Silent and soft, it moistens everything.
Now clouds hang black above the country roads,
A lone boat on the river sheds a glimmer of light;
At dawn we shall see splashes of rain-washed red --
Drenched, heavy blooms in the City of Brocade.