title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: The game's cutting system allows players to engage in melee combat, as well as to precisely slash enemies and objects at will along a geometrical plane using the "free slicing" Blade Mode. Virtually any object in the game can be cut, including vehicles and enemies, though elements of the environment were intentionally limited to structures such as pillars and walls to better facilitate the game. Entering Blade Mode produces a special targeting reticule in the form of a transparent blue plane which can be rotated and moved, tracing orange lines across the surfaces of objects to indicate exactly where they will be cut; it can also be used to enter a bullet time state, giving players the opportunity to precisely slash targets during moments of action, such as slicing through a falling target from multiple angles before it hits the ground. These features can be employed strategically, for example disabling opponents, finding weak points and gaps in armor, severing support columns to collapse ceilings or walls onto enemies, deflecting enemy fire, or cutting through objects to remove enemy cover. However, entering into Blade Mode reduces Raiden's energy to the point that if dropped to a certain level, it cannot be used. Throughout the story the player obtains the Ripper Mode, a state which enhances Raiden's power for a limited time facilitating the use of Blade Mode.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: Raiden has the ability to parry attacks even when his back is turned, allowing him to counterattack enemies and perform multiple combos. The player also has access to a stealth mode called "Ninja Run" which drastically increases Raiden's speed and allows him to climb certain areas. This allows him to strategically ambush an enemy rather than fighting head to head. Another key feature is called , and involves "cutting" through enemies and "taking" parts, energy, ammunition, items, and information from the bodies of dismembered cyborgs and robots. This maneuver can be employed when attacking an enemy during Blade Mode and helps Raiden gain energy. When completing a mission, the player will be rewarded with a specific number of points depending on their performance and will receive a grade, with the highest being "S". These points allow them to buy upgrades for Raiden's equipment.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: The player can carry out reconnaissance using a visor. Through this, the player can verify the areas and proceed to the objective avoiding contact with enemies. Hiding in a cardboard box makes sneaking easier for Raiden. Being spotted by an enemy triggers the "Alert Mode", in which Raiden is assaulted by multiple enemies for a determined time. The player also gains assistance from Blade Wolf, a canine-like UG that scouts and gathers map information and intel for Raiden.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: The events of "Metal Gear Rising" are set in the year 2018, four years after the events of "". The Patriots, a powerful shadow organization running the world's war economy, have been destroyed and Private Military Companies (PMC) have splintered into numerous factions. With the elimination of the Patriot-controlled nanomachine technology used to regulate soldiers' abilities, PMCs turn to advanced cyborg technology, creating durable superhuman soldiers. The player controls Raiden (Quinton Flynn), a former child soldier turned into a cyborg that now works for the PMC Maverick Security Consulting, Inc. Raiden is supported by his Maverick colleagues, Russian pointman Boris Popov (J.B. Blanc), military advisor Kevin Washington (Phil LaMarr), computer specialist Courtney Collins (Kari Wahlgren), and cybernetics expert Wilhelm "Doktor" Voight (Jim Ward). Returning from "Metal Gear Solid 4" is Sunny Emmerich (Christina Puccelli), a child prodigy and friend of Raiden working at Solis Space & Aeronautics.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: Rival PMC Desperado Enforcement LLC. serve as the game's main antagonists; Desperado wants to destabilize peaceful nations and preserve conflict, allowing them to reap the financial rewards and technological advancements of the war economy. Desperado operative Samuel Rodrigues (Philip Anthony-Rodriguez), also known as Jetstream Sam, serves as Raiden's rival with a conversation between the two in the beginning influencing Raiden. Sam is a member of a team of Desperado cyborg assassins named the "Winds of Destruction": Sundowner (Crispin Freeman), Desperado's de facto leader, who wields "Bloodlust", machetes that combine in a large pincer, and who also has a set of reactive armor shields connected to his body; Mistral (Salli Saffioti), the team's only female member, whose frame can support multiple additional arms, allowing her to wield her "L'Etranger" staff that she can use as a whip or halberd; and Monsoon (John Kassir), who uses dual sai called "Dystopia", can manipulate metal objects with magnetism, and can break apart his body into individual components while retaining control over each part through magnetism. LQ-84i, later redesignated as Blade Wolf ( Michael Beattie), is a state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence (AI) housed within a quadruped robot who serves initially as Raiden's Desperado-controlled enemy, but it is later reprogrammed to aid Raiden and Maverick. Additionally, a Colorado senator and potential Presidential candidate, Steven Armstrong (Alastair Duncan), is involved in Desperado's activities. An additional member of the Winds of Destruction, Khamsin (Benito Martinez), appears as part of the Blade Wolf DLC campaign. The game is a spin-off that is "not part of the Metal Gear "Solid" series", although series creator Hideo Kojima said it is a parallel continuation.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: While providing security detail in an unnamed African country for its prime minister, N'Mani, Raiden and his team are attacked by rogue PMC Desperado. While Raiden fends off their forces, their leader Sundowner kidnaps and executes N'Mani. Raiden is badly wounded in a duel with Sundowner's comrade, Jetstream Sam, but Boris saves him as Desperado escapes. Doktor later upgrades Raiden with more powerful cyborg armor.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: Three weeks later, Raiden infiltrates the breakaway nation of Abkhazia after learning that Desperado is leading a military coup there. He plans to capture Andrey Dolzaev, an extremist leading the Abkhazian forces, to force Desperado into standing down. Desperado anticipates the move and assigns a prototype AI designated LQ-84i to stop him. Raiden defeats LQ-84i in combat and later has it rebuilt as an ally, naming it Blade Wolf. He faces further opposition from Mistral, the commander of Desperado's forces in Abkhazia. After Raiden kills Mistral in combat, Dolzaev commits suicide by blowing up an oil tank he is standing on. Maverick assigns Raiden and Blade Wolf to investigate a research facility in Guadalajara, Mexico. There, Raiden meets an orphan named George, who was brought to the facility to have his brain—along with the brains of several other orphans—surgically removed and shipped to the United States. He learns that Sundowner inspected the facility in the company of Senator Steven Armstrong, creating an alliance between Desperado and World Marshal, another PMC. They plan to condition the children's brains to become killers through VR training and place them inside cybernetic bodies to create new soldiers, similar to Raiden. Raiden rescues George and the unharvested orphans and takes them to Doktor.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: Raiden resigns and, with Blade Wolf at his side, launches a one-man assault on World Marshal's headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Though no longer employed by them, Maverick unofficially provides discreet support throughout. As he fights his way through the city's privatized police force and Desperado soldiers, Raiden becomes conflicted over those he has killed. He begins regressing towards his aggressive child soldier persona, "Jack the Ripper", before finally embracing it when he encounters Sam and another operative named Monsoon. He kills Monsoon and infiltrates World Marshal's headquarters before locating and killing Sundowner. There, he learns that Armstrong brought World Marshal and Desperado together to exploit Raiden's desire to avenge N'Mani's death. Armstrong used Desperado to distract Raiden while he carries out "Operation Tecumseh": a plan to assassinate the President of the United States during peace negotiations with Pakistan to ensure another war on terror.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: While Doktor recovers the children's brains, Raiden seeks help from Solis Space & Aeronautics to reach Pakistan in time to stop Armstrong. He encounters Sam on the way and the pair engage in a final duel from which Raiden emerges victorious. At Solis, Sunny helps Raiden travel to Shabhazabad Air Base in Pakistan, where he is attacked by Metal Gear EXCELSUS, a hexapedal tank piloted by Armstrong. He reveals that Operation Tecumseh was a false flag operation, and his true plan was to frame Desperado for killing the United States military personnel at the base, as this is enough to agitate the American people. Armstrong, with his connections to the PMCs, would win any subsequent election in a landslide, giving him free rein to realize his vision of a social Darwinist society, fighting and dying only for what they believe in. Raiden destroys EXCELSUS but discovers that Armstrong has augmented himself with nanomachines that give him incredible strength and near-invulnerability, destroying Raiden's high-frequency blade. Blade Wolf intervenes and gives Raiden Sam's sword, which allows him to defeat and kill Armstrong.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: In the epilogue, Courtney and Kevin are watching TV, and Courtney says, "Unbelievable, after all that...", Kevin tells her to let it go, and Armstrong will never be president, at least, because of Raiden killing him. Maverick receives approval to create a new cyborg staffing firm, allowing them to shelter the orphans' brains and potentially give them a chance at a better life, while George and Blade Wolf go live at Solis with Sunny. Although Desperado is defeated and the brain-taking operation defunct, World Marshal remains in business. Raiden decides against rejoining Maverick, resolving to fight his own war.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: After "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" was released, Hideo Kojima started coming up with ideas for another "Metal Gear" game. The game was meant to feature The Boss and her comrades, the Cobra Unit, as main characters. However, the lack of experience from the younger staff in charge and the lack of involvement from Kojima resulted in this project being scrapped. Afterwards, a member suggested turning it into a sidestory focused on Raiden since said character was featured in "Guns of the Patriots" and the staff agreed to develop "Metal Gear Solid: Rising". It was originally conceived to chronicle the series of events that resulted in the transformation of Raiden into his cyborg ninja persona in "Metal Gear Solid 4". "Rising" would have taken place during a point in the series' chronology at which Raiden had already begun his transformation into cyborg form, albeit with a different and somewhat more crude appearance from the one seen in "Metal Gear Solid 4".


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: The game was first hinted during Kojima's keynote presentation at the 2009 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco where the presentation's end showed "The Next MGS" with Raiden as a cyborg standing next to the title. Prior to the announcements of the game, Kojima Productions featured a countdown timer on their website until the day that "Rising" was announced. The series' traditional tagline of "Tactical Espionage Action" was also altered to "Lightning Bolt Action," a play on the fact that Raiden's name is Japanese for "thunder and lightning." The game was officially announced at E3 2009 at the Microsoft press conference. A teaser trailer was released by Kojima, although he would be serving only as executive producer for the game, as all of his input was with "". The game was initially only announced for the Xbox 360 but was later confirmed for the PS3 and Windows platforms. It would use a brand new game engine, rather than the "Metal Gear Solid 4" engine.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: The game's original cover artwork was leaked on Xbox Live on June 10, four days before E3 2010. During Microsoft's E3 press conference on June 14, Kojima introduced the game's original lead designer, Mineshi Kimura, who unveiled a new trailer which included cutscene and playing footage. The game's creative producer, Shigenobu Matsuyama, and Kimura again presented the trailer on June 16 during Konami's E3 press conference, then took stage, further clarifying the game's mechanic. Concern had risen over the game's realistic depictions of human dismemberment during player-controlled sequences, a hard limit for Japan's Computer Entertainment Rating Organization, which may necessitate censorship in the domestic Japanese release of the game. As a result, the version of the E3 2010 trailer available for viewing on the game's official Japanese website has had such scenes removed.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: Kimura stated that "Rising" would carry on the series tradition of encouraging players to progress through the game without killing, noting that there is a moral difference between attacking cyborgs or robots and attacking human beings, and that there is a "certain virtue to simply disabling your enemies instead of killing them." While it was considered important to give the players freedom Matsuyama indicated that players would never be rewarded for killing human opponents, and that the game would be designed so that players would never be forced to do so. Specifically, the game's stealth elements would have emphasized Raiden's considerable speed and agility through what Matsuyama describes as "hunting stealth." Unlike the stealth of previous titles, in which players remained hidden and avoided combat, players in "Rising" would instead quickly stalk their enemies and use acrobatic maneuvers to stay out of sight while closing in. This ties in with the game's "zan-datsu" feature, allowing them to prey upon enemies to obtain weapons, items, and energy. Kimura noted that he wanted Raiden to be able to move like he did in the "Metal Gear Solid 4" trailers, and to show "the stealth of the sword, and the strength of not even losing to the gun, and the fear and power you have with this blade."


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: At TGS 2010, Sony announced that the PS3 version of "Metal Gear Solid: Rising" would be playable in 3D. In January 2011, several pieces of concept art for "Rising" were displayed at Yoji Shinkawa's two-week exhibit, "The Art of Yoji Shinkawa", hosted by the Konami Style Shop in Tokyo. During late 2011, it was announced over that Matsuyama had moved to a different division within Konami and that Yuji Korekado had taken over as the game's lead producer. Additionally, Kojima said "Metal Gear Solid: Rising" is "moving forward"; Kojima had stated the game remains significantly different from existing "Metal Gear" games, although he has retained an element of control over it and will not let it stray too far from the series' roots. He advised fans to try it even though the game would not focus on stealth.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: Despite having thought out stories and scenarios for the game, Kojima Productions were finding it difficult to design the game around the cutting concept. The project was quietly cancelled in late 2010, and whilst Kojima had considered moving the project to developers abroad, he felt that a Japanese developer would be more suited to produce a ninja action game. In early 2011, Kojima met PlatinumGames' Atsushi Inaba who asked him about the state of "Metal Gear Solid: Rising" and Kojima later requested them to work in the game. This new version, titled "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance", was first revealed via a trailer shown at the Spike Video Game Awards on December 10, 2011. PlatinumGames requested a change of setting in order to have less restrictions in the creation of the game. Shortly after starting development, PlatinumGames discarded the stealth element, with Kojima noting that the original staff did not find it fit with high speed action. However, they were incorporated as Inaba found the original game system too "dull." Artist Yoji Shinkawa worked in the game but only to design Raiden, while freelancer artist Kenichirou Yoshimura is the character designer whose objective is making his work fit with Shinkawa's style.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: The first trailer confirmed that Raiden would once again be voiced by Quinton Flynn, who had previously stated that Konami had not contacted him regarding the game. The game's title was changed to "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance" with "Revengeance" coming from Kojima Productions' desire "to get revenge or vengeance on the original failed "Metal Gear Solid: Rising" project" while the stating "Rising" represents Raiden's character. Kojima also confirmed "Rising" would run at 60 frames per second, a requirement he personally requested of PlatinumGames. The rewrite of the game's script took two months for Kojima Productions to make, in contrast to the original one which took ten months, with the scriptwriter being Etsu Tamari. Tamari often discussed with director Santo when the two studios had different opinions regarding the story. The plot was written with the idea of being accessible to people who have not played previous "Metal Gear" games. There was also a need to reduce the length of cutscenes so that it would balance the playing time. However, no part of the script was removed in the process. Human soldiers were removed from the game to avoid censorship issues in Japan.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: Konami's Martin Scheider assured the game was "in safe hands" owing to the collaboration between "Metal Gear" veteran Yuji Korekado and Inaba, the former supervising the game. As in the original scrapped version Korekado stated that the staff's objective is to make Raiden's action scenes from "Metal Gear Solid 4" playable. Kojima Productions originally planned to release "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance" in Japan without a Japanese voice localization but in August 2012, it was revealed the game would have Japanese audio confirming new and returning actors. The first Japanese language trailer was released shortly afterwards. Inaba had stated that the PS3 version would be the lead platform. The decision was made in order to avoid a repeat of the performance issues that "Bayonetta" had on the console.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: The game was playable for the first time in the E3 2012 during early June with Kojima having been involved on its making. In promoting the game, during April 2012 Konami sent a replica of Raiden's severed arm to various video game publications. The arm contained a small teaser from the game in the form of a live-action scene. In following weeks, the official "Metal Gear Rising" website started showing a longer version of the scene as well as new ones. Konami noticed people asking multiple questions regarding these teasers to which they responded that answers would be delivered during E3. The teasers are meant to give a few hints regarding the game's plot and none of the footage is to be used in it.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: The game's score was composed by Jamie Christopherson, with additional music by Graeme Cornies, Brian Pickett, James Chapple, and David Kelly, and directed by Naoto Tanaka. As a result of the game being focused on action rather than stealth like the previous "Metal Gear" games, the music has a different style. Director Kenji Saito proposed the idea of heavy and fast music featuring lyrics to Kojima Productions. When the studio accepted Saito's idea, the two developers started working together to make the music. Christopherson also contributed by writing thirteen vocal songs which includes electronic music. The soundtrack features vocals by artists including John Bush, Tyson Yen, Free Dominguez, Jason C. Miller and Jimmy Gnecco with contributions by Logan Mader, former member of Machine Head, Electronic Rock Musicians/Remixers The Maniac Agenda, and Ferry Corsten. A soundtrack featuring themes from the game was featured in the limited edition. Another soundtrack, titled "Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Vocal Tracks", featuring 29 tracks, was released on February 20, 2013.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: The demo version was initially released as a bonus included in the "Zone of the Enders: HD Collection", which was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 30, 2012. A public demo of "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance" was released in Japan on December 13, 2012, on the PlayStation Store. The North American demo was later released on the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store on January 22, 2013.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: The full version was released in North America on February 19, 2013, and in Europe on February 21 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. Although it was also planned to be released for both consoles on February 21 in Australia, shipping issues delayed it to February 26. The game was released in Japan on February 21 for the PlayStation 3, with the Xbox 360 release cancelled. While a Microsoft Windows version of "Metal Gear Solid: Rising" was initially planned, release for this platform was put on hold. However, Kojima Productions said they would consider it after the release of the console versions. The Microsoft Windows version was then announced in May 2013, and released on January 9, 2014. The PlayStation 3 version has been added to the library of PlayStation Plus subscribers in November 2013.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: In Japan, Konami released two collectors' editions. The first one, "Premium Package", contains an artbook by Yoji Shinkawa, and a soundtrack package. The second limited edition is the "Premium Package Special Edition" including all the contents from the other one with the addition of an action figure of Raiden. The English collector's edition features a soundtrack, a steel case and a lamp containing a small-scale replica of Raiden's sword. An exclusive download edition titled the "Ultimate Edition" was released on the PlayStation Network on May 21, 2013. This edition includes the full game, plus all the downloadable contents. The same version was released in stores with the label of "Special Edition" on December 5, 2013, in Japan.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: The Microsoft Windows version was released on January 9, 2014. The version briefly required online connection until a fix was issued on January 10, 2014. It was claimed that the requirement was an accidental bug. The Microsoft Windows version has been region locked making the game unavailable in India and Japan. The game was briefly unavailable for purchase in Ireland. The game is also not available for purchase through Steam in Malaysia, but is available in disc format for the PlayStation 3. The game also has region locked serials and cross-region gifting. In March 2015, "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance" was confirmed to be coming to the Nvidia Shield Console. In January 2017, the OS X version of "Revengeance" became unplayable due to an issue with its DRM after Transgaming, who developed the port, went out of business.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: The downloadable content for "Rising" consists of five cyborg body types for Raiden, a set of VR Missions, and two story-based campaigns starring a different character each. The DLC armors were available as pre-order incentives through different participating retailers that varied between region. The VR Missions set and bonus campaigns were made available during the months following the game's release. All the downloadable content has since been made available for general users on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live and are included as standard features in the Windows version of the game.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: Eurogamer, 1UP.com and "VideoGamer.com" listed it as one of the most anticipated games of 2012 because it distances itself from previous games in the franchise as well as considering PlatinumGames' previous work. However, a common criticism echoed by IGN's Richard George has been that its style contrasts sharply with the previous "Metal Gear" games as a result of the change of developers and player character Raiden. David Houghton of GamesRadar noted that Raiden's actions during play were not out of character considering his role in "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" where he was able to fight soldiers without his arms. During the E3 2012, both GameSpot editors Kevin VanOrd and Peter Brown were surprised with the gameplay provided by the demo, with the former calling it "fluid third-person action featuring slow-motion swordplay" in place of the stealth style featured in the "Metal Gear Solid" series. Both writers still found Raiden suitable for the game's style and plot owing to his role in previous "Metal Gear" games. 1UP's Jose Otero provided similar comments, praising the gameplay's style, but still felt the demo was more like a tutorial rather than a stage of game.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: Producer Atsushi Inaba took to his Twitter feed to address fans' concerns over the project. He acknowledged the mixed reaction to the unveiling of "Rising", but hopes gamers will spot "a glimpse of the future" in the trailer. Inaba promises its "love and respect will shine through." The negative reactions came from fans noticing the genre switching to a "hack and slash" game. Inaba expressed his dismay at the fans' comparison of "Metal Gear Rising" with "Ninja Gaiden 3", having criticized the latter game. During Games Convention 2012, Kojima Productions noted the demos were well received by fans due to the number of attendees that wanted to play it. They added that feedback for the demo was positive. In September 2012, "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance" was one of the winners from Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association's Japan Game Awards.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance" received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. "Famitsu" scored the game a near perfect 39 out of 40. "Play" and "GamesTM" also shared positive impressions, with the latter calling "Metal Gear Rising" "almost certainly the best "Metal Gear" game released this generation."


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: Eurogamer writer Rich Stanton was pleased with the creation of this "Metal Gear" spin-off expanding the franchise. It was noted that the game was close to receiving a perfect 10 were it not for issues with the camera. Other sites noted similar issues during their reviews due to the fact it could not keep up with the fast action sequences. The game's action was praised by several publications, stating it would be appealing for casual players and "Metal Gear" fans. Bob Mackey enjoyed the game but felt that the game still had the mark of a "rescued product": "Revengeance isn't Platinum at the top of their game; it's the studio making the best of a bad situation -- even so, a troubled Platinum production still has plenty to offer." Some focused on the cutting system which allowed players to slice not only enemies but also the environment, while IGN's Mitch Dyer commented on how the number of subweapons improved the game's variety despite a lack of flow when changing them. Boss fights have also been referred as one of the game's strongest points due to its use of cutscenes and music.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: On the other hand, Joe Juba from "Game Informer" was less favourable, stating that the combat was the only real highlight of the game, reserved about the superficiality of even the combat element itself, commenting "[the combat] is entertaining, but 'style over substance' is the defining theme." He found that the game's shortcomings made it less interesting than previous "Metal Gear" games and "Bayonetta", a video game also by PlatinumGames. "Computer and Video Games" Matt Gilman agreed with Juba, adding that the game's cons, while annoying, could have been easily fixed, citing the lack of a defense action rather than parrying. The campaign has also been criticized for a short running time although Miguel Concepción from "The Escapist" cited the multiple challenging difficulties as a way to encourage the players to play through the game more than once in order to increase the number of hours the player can do.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: The plot was found to be on par with other games in the franchise. Raiden's role and development were found to be appealing, with GameSpot's Peter Brown praising his violent attitude that made him an outstanding anti-hero, whereas GameTrailers noted how Raiden contrasted his "" persona that had been criticized back in 2001. "IGN" wrote that fans of "Metal Gear Solid 4" would enjoy the game more because Raiden can replicate his moves from that game's cutscenes in gameplay. "Eurogamer" said a major change in Raiden's characterization is "Revengeance", referring to him as a "the ultimate cyborg and also the ultimate killer" based on his darker persona that is explored in combat. Critics praised the design of the game's bosses, while Samuel was noted to have a good rivalry with Raiden that helped develop the latter. Despite being a spin-off and lacking the series' protagonist Solid Snake, Concepción found the setting post "" to contain several classic "Metal Gear" elements that old players would find familiar. However, "Game Informer" criticized the new characters as "uninteresting and poorly developed".


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: Producer Atsushi Inaba noted on his Twitter account that several Western gamers believed the game was too short based on a results screen that showed a clear time of five-and-a-half hours. He clarified that the screen did not count cutscenes or failed attempts to beat the game, taking in account only the times the player passes the stages. This system has been used by PlatinumGames since "Bayonetta" in order to evaluate players. As a result, Inaba felt disappointed by people's attempts to criticize the game based on a single screen.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: PlatinumGames' president Tatsuya Minami said he expects good sales from the game due to strong marketing and being part of the "Metal Gear" series. Shortly after its release Hideo Kojima mentioned having been pleased due to "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance" selling well around the world but did not share numbers. During its first week, the game topped Japan's Media Create and Enterbrain Japan charts list selling 308,681 units according to the former and 335,791 units according to the latter. Among the Famitsu 2013 Top 100, a listing of the top 100 Japanese retail software sales for the year of 2013 from data collected by Famitsu's parent company Enterbrain, the PS3 version of "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance" ranked number 11, with 470,597 physical retail sales within Japan.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: The game received a Gold Prize from the 2013 PlayStation Awards, for the PS3 version selling more than 500,000 units in Asia. During its debut in the United Kingdom, it was the second-best-selling game following "Crysis 3". , Steam Spy estimated that the PC version sold approximately 722,000 units on Steam, for an estimated total of more than copies sold for the PS3 and Steam platforms.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: Hideo Kojima mentioned in January 2012 that depending on the game's popularity, the staff would make a franchise based on it. He has viewed the relationship between Kojima Productions and PlatinumGames as very positive and suggested that a sequel to "Metal Gear Rising" may be possible in the near future. However, Kojima would only approve of a sequel if PlatinumGames were to develop it, stating that "no one else could [do] it". Following the game's release Kojima was impressed with PlatinumGames' work in the game stating the franchise had a "lot of hugely, insanely critical fans" who would be harsh on reflecting issues. As the original project from the game was telling Raiden's life before "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" Kojima would like the game to be developed although he thought that PlatinumGames would have problems with it as a result of being an inter-sequel. As a result, he is unable to confirm such story could be developed in the future.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: On February 22, 2013, Hideo Kojima told SPOnG that he would like to make a sequel of "Metal Gear Rising". He said that if it does happen, he would like PlatinumGames to develop it. Kojima also stated that he would like the sequel to star Gray Fox and have him battle "nano machine-powered zombies." He went on to say that he offered to write the story himself, but PlatinumGames did not seem interested. Etsu Tamari, chief story writer for both "Metal Gear Rising" and the original "Metal Gear Solid: Rising" has expressed interest in re-using the original idea into the potential sequel.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: In August 2013, Konami posted a survey for "Metal Gear Rising" in their official site asking fans if they want a sequel and if so what they would like to see in it. On January 31, 2015, a trailer for upcoming PS4 games at the 2015 Taipei Game Show teased a brief image of the number 2, in a similar font design to that of "Revengeance". However, Kojima Productions later made statements that the "2" was unrelated to the "Metal Gear" franchise.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: Writer Etsu Tamari expressed joy in the final product and expected that in the future, the team could make another game focused on Raiden. Quinton Flynn stated he was pleased with Raiden's role in "Revengeance" and stated he would have liked a new sequel with him as the lead. However, the ongoing conflicts between Konami and Kojima Productions left him worried as there might not be another game.


title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

text: The narrative, characters, and soundtrack were noted to contribute to the game's resurgence in popularity in 2022 as a result of internet memes, including the handling of politics and characters reacting in comical fashion to setpieces and dialogue, the most prominent example being with main antagonist Senator Armstrong.


title: Hotel California

text: "Hotel California" is the title track from the Eagles' album of the same name and was released as a single in February 1977. Writing credits for the song are shared by Don Felder (music), Don Henley, and Glenn Frey (lyrics). Joe Walsh came up with the dual-guitar descending arpeggio part that ends the song: he did not, however, get writing credits. The Eagles' original recording of the song features Henley singing the lead vocals, and concludes with an electric guitar solo performed by both Walsh and Felder, in which they both take turns of playing lead before harmonising and playing the aforementioned arpeggio towards the fade out at the end.


title: Hotel California

text: The song is considered the best known recording by the band, and in 1998 its long guitar coda was voted the best guitar solo of all time by readers of "Guitarist". The song was awarded the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1978. The lyrics of the song have been interpreted by fans and critics alike, the Eagles themselves describing the song as their "interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles". In the 2013 documentary "History of the Eagles", Henley said that the song was about "a journey from innocence to experience ... that's all".


title: Hotel California

text: Since its release, "Hotel California" has been covered by many artists. Julia Phillips proposed adapting the song into a film, but the members of the Eagles disliked the idea and it never came to fruition. Commercially, "Hotel California" reached the number one position on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and reached the top ten of several international charts.


title: Hotel California

text: The Eagles have performed "Hotel California" 1,038 times live, the third most out of all their songs, after "Desperado" and "Take it Easy".


title: Hotel California

text: A demo of the instrumental was developed by Don Felder in a rented house on Malibu Beach. He recorded the basic tracks with a Rhythm Ace drum machine and added a 12 string guitar on a four-track recording deck in his spare bedroom, then mixed in a bassline, and gave Don Henley and Glenn Frey each a copy of the recording. Felder, who met the Eagles through his high school bandmate Bernie Leadon, said that Leadon advised him to make tapes of songs he wrote for the band so that other band members like Henley, whose forte is in writing lyrics, might work with him on finishing the songs they liked. The demos he made were always instrumental, and on every album project he would submit 15 or 16 ideas. The demo he made for "Hotel California" showed influences from Latin and reggae music, and it grabbed the attention of Henley who said he liked the song that "sounds like a Mexican reggae or Bolero", which gave the song its first working title, "Mexican Reggae".


title: Hotel California

text: Frey and Henley were both interested in the tune after hearing the demo, and discussed the concept for the lyrics. In 2008, Felder described the writing of the lyrics:


title: Hotel California

text: Frey came up with a cinematic scenario of a person who, tired from driving a long distance in a desert, saw a place for a rest and pulled in for the night, but entered "a weird world peopled by freaky characters", and became "quickly spooked by the claustrophobic feeling of being caught in a disturbing web from which he may never escape". In an interview with Cameron Crowe, Frey said that he and Henley wanted the song "to open like an episode of the "Twilight Zone"", and added: "We take this guy and make him like a character in "The Magus", where every time he walks through a door there's a new version of reality. We wanted to write a song just like it was a movie." Frey described the song in an interview with NBC's Bob Costas as a cinematic montage "just one shot to the next ... a picture of a guy on the highway, a picture of the hotel, the guy walks in, the door opens, strange people". Frey continued: "We decided to create something strange, just to see if we could do it." Henley then wrote most of the lyrics based on Frey's idea, and sought inspiration for the writing by driving out into the desert as well as from films and theater.


title: Hotel California

text: Part of the lyrics, such as "Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends / She got a lot of pretty pretty boys she calls friends", are based on Henley's break-up with his girlfriend Loree Rodkin. According to Frey's liner notes for "The Very Best Of", the use of the word "steely" in the lyric, "They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast", was a playful nod to the band Steely Dan, who had included the lyric "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening" in their song "Everything You Did". Frey had also said that the writing of the song was inspired by the boldness of Steely Dan's lyrics and its willingness to go "out there", and thought that the song they wrote had "achieved perfect ambiguity".


title: Hotel California

text: The Eagles recorded the track with Don Henley on lead vocal three different times, twice at the Record Plant in Los Angeles and finally at the Criteria Studios in Miami. They first recorded a riff, but when it came to recording the vocal, it was found to be in too high a key for Henley's voice, so Felder progressively lowered the key from E minor, eventually settling on B minor. The second recording however was judged too fast. In Miami, the band fine-tuned the instrumentation and the lyrics and recorded numerous takes. Five or six best ones were selected, and the best parts were then spliced together to create the released version. According to the producer Bill Szymczyk, there were 33 edits on the two‑inch master. The final section features a guitar battle between Joe Walsh (who had replaced Bernie Leadon after Leadon's departure from the band in 1975) and Felder, which took the two of them sitting together working for around three days to achieve the necessary precision. Walsh and Felder initially started improvising but Henley insisted that the recording should follow the music as first recorded in Felder's demo.


title: Hotel California

text: Henley decided that the song should be a single, although Felder had doubts and the record company was reluctant to release it because, at over six minutes, its duration far exceeded that of the songs generally played by radio stations. The band took a stand and refused the label's request to shorten the song. The song was released as the second single from the album after "New Kid in Town". The front cover art for some overseas editions of the 45rpm single released was a reworked version of the "Hotel California" LP cover art, which used a photograph of the Beverly Hills Hotel by David Alexander, with design and art direction by Kosh.


title: Hotel California

text: As "Hotel California" became one of the group's most popular songs and a concert staple for the band, live recordings of the song have therefore also been released. The first live recording of the song appeared on the Eagles' 1980 live album, and an acoustic version with an extended intro is a track in the 1994 "Hell Freezes Over" reunion concert CD and video release. The "Hell Freezes Over" version is performed using eight guitars and has a decidedly Spanish sound, with Felder's flamenco-inspired arrangement and intro.


title: Hotel California

text: "Hotel California" first entered the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart dated February 26, 1977, and topped the Hot 100 singles chart for one week in May 1977, the band's fourth song to reach No. 1 on that chart. It peaked at number 10 on the Easy Listening chart in April 1977. "Billboard" ranked it number 19 on its 1977 Pop Singles year-end chart. Three months after its first release, the single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), representing one million copies shipped. In 2009, the song was further certified Platinum (Digital Sales Award) by the RIAA for sales of one million digital downloads, and has since sold over 3 million downloads.


title: Hotel California

text: The Eagles won the 1977 Grammy Award for Record of the Year for "Hotel California" at the 20th Grammy Awards in 1978. "Cash Box" said that "the luxuriant harmonies are here, of course, along with muted rhythm guitars and vocal inflections that add a West Indian flavor" and "the multi-tracked guitar harmonies...end the cut with melodrama".


title: Hotel California

text: The song is rated highly in many rock music lists and polls; "Rolling Stone" magazine ranked it number 49 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". It was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. At the induction of the Eagles into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, all seven former and present members of the band reunited to perform "Hotel California".


title: Hotel California

text: The song's guitar solo was voted the best solo of all time by readers of "Guitarist" magazine in 1998, and was ranked 8th on "Guitar Magazine"s Top 100 Guitar Solos. The song was also included in the music video game "Guitar Hero World Tour". It was ranked the number 1 in the list of the best 12-string guitar songs of all times by "Guitar World" magazine in 2015.


title: Hotel California

text: Glenn Frey said that originally "We decided to create something strange, just to see if we could do it", and that the song was meant to mimic the imagery of the 1965 novel "The Magus" by John Fowles, about a man in an unfamiliar rural setting who is unsure about what he is experiencing.


title: Hotel California

text: Don Henley has given a number of explanations about the song, ranging from "a journey from innocence to experience" to "a sociopolitical statement". In an interview with "Rolling Stone", Henley said that the song was meant to be "more of a symbolic piece about America in general", and added: "Lyrically, the song deals with traditional or classical themes of conflict: darkness and light, good and evil, youth and age, the spiritual versus the secular. I guess you could say it's a song about loss of innocence."


title: Hotel California

text: The song has been described as being "all about American decadence and burnout, too much money, corruption, drugs and arrogance; too little humility and heart". It has also been interpreted as an allegory about hedonism, self-destruction, and greed in the music industry of the late 1970s. Henley called it "our interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles", and later said: "It's basically a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America, which is something we knew a lot about." In the 2013 documentary, "History of the Eagles", Henley reiterated:


title: Hotel California

text: In a 2009 interview, "The Plain Dealer" music critic John Soeder asked Henley if he regretted writing the lines "So I called up the captain / 'Please bring me my wine' / He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since 1969'" because wines are fermented while spirits are distilled. Henley responded:


title: Hotel California

text: In his "Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings, Volume 1", Steve Sullivan theorizes that the "spirit" that the Hotel California hasn't had since 1969 refers to the spirit of social activism of the 1960s, and how disco and the related pop music of the mid-1970s had turned away from it.


title: Hotel California

text: The metaphorical character of the story related in the lyrics has inspired a number of conjectural interpretations by listeners. In the 1980s, the Rev. Paul Risley of Cornerstone Church in Burlington, Wisconsin, alleged that "Hotel California" referred to a San Francisco hotel that was purchased by Anton LaVey and converted into his Church of Satan. Other rumors suggested that the Hotel California was the Camarillo State Mental Hospital, which was shut down in 1997, and redeveloped into California State University Channel Islands.


title: Hotel California

text: The term "colitas" in the first stanza ("warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air") has been interpreted as a sexual slang or a reference to marijuana. "Colitas" means "little tails" in Spanish; in Mexican slang it refers to buds of the cannabis (marijuana) plant. According to Glenn Frey, the "warm smell" is "colitas ... it means little tails, the very top of the plant". The Eagles' manager Irving Azoff appears to lend support to the marijuana hypothesis; however, Felder said: "The colitas is a plant that grows in the desert that blooms at night, and it has this kind of pungent, almost funky smell. Don Henley came up with a lot of the lyrics for that song, and he came up with colitas."


title: Hotel California

text: Other interpretations of the song include heroin addiction and cannibalism. On the various interpretations, Henley said: "Some of the wilder interpretations of that song have been amazing. It was really about the excesses of American culture and certain girls we knew. But it was also about the uneasy balance between art and commerce."


title: Hotel California

text: The intro and verses' chord pattern counts eight measures, each one assigned to a single chord. Seven different chords are used in the eight measures. As the song opens, it is not until the eighth measure that a chord is repeated. The song is initially in the key of B-minor. The presence of E major gives a hint of B Dorian mode.


title: Hotel California

text: The eight-measure sequence is repeated in the intro, for each verse and in the outro, providing the harmonic framework for the entire extended dual guitar solo at the end of the song. One explanation of the progression is that it is a common flamenco chord progression called the "Spanish progression" (i–VII–VI–V in a Phrygian context) that is interspersed with consecutive fifths. With its descending ostinato pattern, it could be considered a fandango, a forerunner of the Baroque chaconne form.


title: Hotel California

text: This chord sequence is not commonly used, and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull has pointed out its similarity to his song "We Used to Know" from their 1969 album "Stand Up", an international hit which reached No. 1 in UK album chart and No. 20 in U.S. Billboard album chart, suggesting the Eagles heard it on the album or when they toured together. While the Eagles did open for Jethro Tull in June 1972, Don Felder, who wrote the music, did not join the band until 1974 and would not have been backstage at their concerts. Felder has said that he had never heard "We Used to Know", and that he was unfamiliar with Jethro Tull apart from the fact the frontman plays a flute. Anderson himself indicated that his comments on the similarities between the songs were meant as a joke, and said: "It's not plagiarism. It's just the same chord sequence. It's in a different time signature, different key, different context. ... Harmonic progression—it's almost a mathematical certainty that you're gonna crop up with the same thing sooner or later if you're strumming a few chords on a guitar."


title: Hotel California

text: The chorus, or refrain, uses five of the verse's seven chords, structured with the melody in a way that infers a key change from B minor to its relative major key of D.


title: Hotel California

text: "Hotel California" and its lyrics have become absorbed into the wider culture around the world, and have been used by various writers and commentators to reflect on issues ranging from politics to social media and welfare, or as an observation on a particular situation. The lines "We are programmed to receive / You can check out any time you like / But you can never leave!" were used by an economist to refer to how the appeal of an attractive "Hotel California"-type host country to foreign investors may be countered by the cost of exit on leaving the country. A term "The Hotel California Effect" was then used to refer to the negative effect of financial regulations on investment, and the problems foreign investors faced when getting their money out of China. It has also applied to other ideas such as problem when leaving a service provider or social media network, or when exiting cloud computing. The same analogy has been used by various commentators considering scenarios for Brexit, with the term "Hotel California Brexit".


title: Hotel California

text: A book titled "Operation Hotel California: The Clandestine War Inside Iraq" was written about the clandestine operation named after the song title by CIA–US Special Forces teams in Iraqi Kurdistan in the lead-up to the Iraq War.


title: Hotel California

text: Although the Eagles were noted for their reluctance to license their songs for use in shows, the song has been used in a number of films and television shows, such as "The Big Lebowski" (performed by the Gipsy Kings), "Absolutely Fabulous", "American Horror Story", "The Sopranos", and the end credits of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings".


title: Hotel California

text: On July 13, 2022, three individuals were charged after allegedly conspiring to sell Henley's handwritten lyrics to the song "Hotel California" and two other songs from the same album that the Manhattan District Attorney's office claims were improperly obtained. Prosecutors claim the lyrics could be worth over $1 million at auction. The three men pleaded not guilty and were released without bail pending trial. Eagles manager Irving Azoff said the case exposed "the truth about music memorabilia sales of highly personal, stolen items hidden behind a façade of legitimacy".


title: Hotel California

text: According to "Rolling Stone", Julia Phillips, the producer of films like "Taxi Driver" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," was interested in shooting a film based on the song's story. The band members and Phillips met to discuss the project. In her memoir, "You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again", Phillips wrote that the band members were difficult to deal with and arrogant. Henley said that Phillips offered the band members cocaine and was "nonplussed" when they turned it down. Tension between the two parties ended the pre-development deal for the film. "Rolling Stone" reported that the band was not upset at this development, as they were not particularly enamored with the idea of "Hotel California" being adapted into a film. This was because Henley feared that he would lack control over the project.


title: Hotel California

text: Hotel California has been performed 2,204 times by 167 different artists as of the end of 2021. This includes 1,057 performances of the song by Eagles, 202 by Don Felder solo, and 187 by Don Henley solo.


title: Matthew Vaughn

text: Matthew Allard de Vere Drummond (born Matthew Allard Robert Vaughn; 7 March 1971) is an English filmmaker. He has produced films including "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" (1998) and "Snatch" (2000), and directed "Layer Cake" (2004), "Stardust" (2007), "Kick-Ass" (2010), "" (2011), "" (2014) and its sequel "" (2017), and produced, co-wrote, and directed its prequel "The King's Man" (2021).


title: Matthew Vaughn

text: Vaughn was born in Paddington, London, England. Until 2002, he had thought that he was the child of a relationship between his mother, Kathy Ceaton (died 20 July 2013), and American actor Robert Vaughn. A paternity investigation in the 1980s revealed that Robert Vaughn was not his father, but Ceaton had never revealed otherwise to Vaughn. Upon asking his mother about his true paternity, she revealed that his father was George Albert Harley de Vere Drummond, an English banker. Early in Vaughn's life, before the paternity investigation, Robert Vaughn had asked for the child's surname to be Vaughn, and it continues today as Vaughn's professional name, though he now uses de Vere Drummond in his personal life.


title: Matthew Vaughn

text: Vaughn was educated at Sussex House School in London and then Stowe School in Buckingham. Taking a gap year between Stowe and university, he travelled around the world on a Hard Rock Cafe tour. After arriving in Los Angeles he began working as an assistant to a film director. He later returned to London, and attended University College London studying anthropology and ancient history. He dropped out after a few weeks.


title: Matthew Vaughn

text: Aged 25, Vaughn produced a low-budget thriller, "The Innocent Sleep" (1996), starring Annabella Sciorra and Michael Gambon. He continued as a producer on close friend Guy Ritchie's film "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels". The film was a critical, popular and financial success, earning Vaughn and Ritchie £9 million each. Vaughn would later produce Ritchie's "Snatch" and "Swept Away".


title: Matthew Vaughn

text: Vaughn made his directorial debut in 2004 with "Layer Cake". The film was well received and its success led to Vaughn being tapped to direct "" (2006), but he dropped out only two weeks before filming began. Subsequently, he said the film was "pretty good" given the limited time they had to make it, but he was critical of Brett Ratner's direction of the film. For his next project he co-wrote and directed "Stardust", followed by a movie adaptation of Mark Millar's "Kick-Ass" in 2010. Vaughn directed and co-wrote the first film in the prequel trilogy of the "X-Men" film universe titled, "" (2011). Vaughn was signed to return to the series as director of the sequel, "" (2014), but dropped out in favour of Bryan Singer who had directed the first two films in the original trilogy, "X-Men" and "X2: X-Men United". Vaughn remained attached to the film by co-writing the script.


title: Matthew Vaughn

text: Vaughn's next directorial project, was "" (2015), an adaptation of Mark Millar and David Gibbons's comic book "The Secret Service". The film was scripted by Vaughn and Jane Goldman, and produced by Vaughn's production company Marv Films. Vaughn returned to direct, produce, and co-write the "Kingsman" sequel, "", which was released in theaters in September 2017. Vaughn also directed and provided the story for "The King's Man", the third installment in the franchise serving as a prequel to the original film. Delayed from November 2019 due to both the schedule shuffle following Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox and the subsequent COVID-19 pandemic, the film was released on 22 December 2021.


title: Matthew Vaughn

text: In March 2017, "Collider" reported that Vaughn was top choice to direct "Man of Steel 2"; in September of that year, Vaughn confirmed that he was in negotiations with the studio to helm the project. By March 2019, Vaughn stated that discussions with Warner Bros. had ended, and he was no longer involved with development of the film.


title: Matthew Vaughn

text: Vaughn began working on spy film "Argylle" in 2021, based on the as-yet unpublished novel by Ellie Conway and starring an ensemble cast including Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, Bryan Cranston and John Cena. The film will be distributed by Apple TV+, who obtained the rights for $200 million.


title: Matthew Vaughn

text: On 25 May 2002, Vaughn married German model Claudia Schiffer in Suffolk. The couple have three children: son Caspar Matthew de Vere (born 30 January 2003) and daughters Clementine Poppy (born 11 November 2004) and Cosima Violet (born 14 May 2010). The couple have homes in Notting Hill, London, Northamptonshire and Coldham Hall, Stanningfield, Suffolk.


title: Tofu

text: Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be "silken", "soft", "firm", "extra firm" or "super firm". Beyond these broad textural categories, there are many varieties of tofu. It has a subtle flavor, so it can be used in savory and sweet dishes. It is often seasoned or marinated to suit the dish and its flavors, and due to its spongy texture, it absorbs flavors well. It is a traditional component of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines, and has been consumed in China for over 2,000 years. In modern western cooking, it is most often treated as a meat substitute.


title: Tofu

text: Nutritionally, tofu is low in calories, while containing a relatively large amount of protein. It is high in iron, and can have a high calcium or magnesium content depending on the coagulants (e.g. calcium chloride, calcium sulphate, magnesium sulphate) used in manufacturing.


title: Tofu

text: The English word "tofu" comes from Japanese "tōfu" (), a borrowing of Chinese (Mandarin: "dòufǔ; tou4-fu") 'bean curd, bean ferment'.


title: Tofu

text: The earliest documentation of the word in English is "towfu", in a 1770 letter from the English merchant James Flint to Benjamin Franklin. The term "bean curd(s)" for tofu has been used in the United States since at least 1840.


title: Tofu

text: Tofu making was first recorded during the Chinese Han dynasty about 2000 years ago. Chinese legend ascribes its invention to Prince Liu An (179122BC) of Anhui province. Tofu and its production technique were introduced to Japan during the Nara period (710794). Some scholars believe tofu arrived in Vietnam during the 10th and 11th centuries. It spread to other parts of Southeast Asia as well. This probably coincided with the spread of Buddhism as it is an important source of protein in the vegetarian diet of East Asian Buddhism. Li Shizhen, during the Ming Dynasty, described a method of making tofu in the "Compendium of Materia Medica". Since then, tofu has become a staple in many countries, including Vietnam, Thailand, and Korea, with regional variations in production methods, texture, flavor, and usage.


title: Tofu

text: The most commonly held of the three theories of tofu's origin maintains that tofu was discovered by Lord Liu An, a Han Dynasty prince. While plausible, the paucity of reliable sources for this period makes this difficult to conclusively determine. In Chinese history, important inventions were frequently attributed to important leaders and figures of the time. In 1960, a stone mural unearthed from an Eastern Han dynasty tomb provided support for the theory of the Han origin of tofu; however some scholars maintain that tofu during the Han dynasty was rudimentary and lacked the firmness and taste for it to be considered as tofu.


title: Tofu

text: Another theory suggests that the production method for tofu was discovered accidentally when a slurry of boiled, ground soybeans was mixed with impure sea salt. Such sea salt would probably have contained calcium and magnesium salts, allowing the soy mixture to curdle and produce a tofu-like gel.


title: Tofu

text: The last group of theories maintains that the ancient Chinese learned the method for curdling soy milk by emulating the milk curdling techniques of the Mongolians or East Indians. Despite their advanced culture, no technology or knowledge of culturing and processing milk products existed within ancient Chinese society. The primary evidence for this theory is the etymological similarity between the Chinese term "rǔfǔ" (), which literally means "milk curdled", used during Sui Dynasty (AD 581–618), for dishes with consistency like yoghurt or soft cheese), later influenced by Mongolian milk products and methods of production, and the term "dòufu" (, "beans curdled" ) or tofu. Although intriguing and possible, there is no evidence to substantiate this theory beyond academic speculation.


title: Tofu

text: A form of tofu may have been discovered during the Han dynasty (202AD 220), but it did not become a popular food in China until the Song dynasty (960–1279).


title: Tofu

text: In China, tofu is traditionally used as a food offering when visiting the graves of deceased relatives. It is claimed that the spirits (or ghosts) have long lost their chins and jaws, so that only tofu is soft enough for them to eat. Before refrigeration was available in China, tofu was often only sold during winter, since tofu did not spoil as easily in cold weather. During the warmer months, tofu, once made, spoiled if stored for more than a day.


title: Tofu

text: Tofu was introduced to Japan during the Nara period (late 8th century) by Zen Buddhist monks, who initially called it . A firm variation of tofu was introduced in Tosa Province, today's Kochi Prefecture, by a Korean doctor and prisoner of war following the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598). Much of tofu's early use in East Asia was as a vegetarian substitute for meat and fish by Buddhist monks, especially those following Zen Buddhism.


title: Tofu

text: The earliest Japanese document concerning tofu refers to the dish being served as an offering at the Kasuga Shrine in Nara in 1183. The book "Tofu Hyakuchin" (), published in 1782 of the Edo period, lists 100 recipes for cooking tofu.


title: Tofu

text: In Southeast Asia, tofu was introduced to the region by Chinese immigrants from Fujian province, as evidenced by many countries in Southeast Asia referring to tofu using the Min Nan Chinese word for either soft and firm tofu, or "tāu-hū" or "tāu-goa" respectively. In Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam, tofu is widely available and used in many local dishes.


title: Tofu

text: Tofu is called "tahu" in Indonesia, and Indonesian dishes such as tahu sumbat, taugeh tahu, asinan, siomay and some curries, often add slices of tofu. "Tahu goreng", "tahu isi" and "tahu sumedang" are popular fried tofu snacks.


title: Tofu

text: 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.


title: Tofu

text: Tofu in the Philippines is widely eaten as the breakfast snack "tahô" (soft tofu, from Philippine Hokkien 豆腐 "tāu-hū"), or as "tokwa" (dry, firm tofu that is usually fried, from Philippine Hokkien 豆干 "tāu-goa"), 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.


title: Tofu

text: 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. Flint's writing "Towfu" in his letter is the earliest documented use of "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.


title: Tofu

text: Regardless of the product or scale of the production, the production of tofu essentially consists of:


title: Tofu

text: It is similar to the production of dairy cheese by coagulating the milk of dairy animals to form curds and pressing and aging the curds to form cheese. Typical tofu making procedures are cleaning, soaking, grinding beans in water, filtering, boiling, coagulation, and pressing.


title: Tofu

text: Coagulation of the protein and oil (emulsion) suspended in the boiled soy milk is the most important step in the production of tofu. This process is accomplished with the aid of coagulants. Coagulation depends on complex interactions. There are many variables including the variety and percentage of protein in the soybeans used, slurry cooking temperature, coagulation temperature, and other factors.


title: Tofu

text: Soybean proteins are mainly composed of 7S and 11S proteins. The negative surface charges on these globulins usually cause them to repel each other. Heating soy milk denatures the proteins and exposes hydrophobic groups normally oriented toward the inside of the globulin structure. Cations from coagulants bind the negatively charged groups. As the net charges of the protein molecules are neutralized, attractive hydrophobic interactions dominate over repulsive electrostatic charges, and protein aggregates are formed.


title: Tofu

text: Contemporary tofu manufacturers may choose to use one or more of these coagulants, since each plays a role in producing a desired texture in the finished tofu. Different textures result from different pore sizes and other microscopic features in the tofu produced using each coagulant. The coagulant mixture is dissolved in water, and the solution is then stirred into boiled soy milk until the mixture curdles into a soft gel.


title: Tofu

text: Coagulants are typically added at concentrations between 1.5 and 5.0 g/kg. In all coagulants consisting of calcium or magnesium salts, the positive double bonded ions of the calcium or magnesium are responsible for the coagulation of the soy proteins which become part of the tofu, thereby enhancing its nutritional value. Only 1 part per 1000 of the tofu eaten is coagulant; most of the coagulant reacts with soy protein and is broken down into ions. The non-reactive portion dissolves in the whey and is discarded.


title: Tofu

text: The curds are processed differently depending on the form of tofu that is being manufactured. For soft silken tofu (; "nèndòufu" in Chinese or "kinugoshi-dōfu" in Japanese) or tofu pudding (, "dòuhuā" OR 豆腐花, "dòufuhuā" in Chinese or "Oboro-dōfu" in Japanese) the soy milk is curdled directly in the tofu's final packaging. For standard firm East Asian tofu, the soy curd is cut and strained of excess liquid using cheesecloth or muslin and then lightly pressed to produce a soft cake. Firmer tofus, such as East Asian dry tofu (' in Chinese or "Shimi-dōfu" in Japanese) or Western types of tofu, are further pressed to remove even more liquid. In Vietnam, the curd is strained and molded in a square mold, and the end product is called "đậu khuôn" (molded bean) or "đậu phụ" (one of the Vietnamese ways to pronounce the Chinese "dòufu"). The tofu curds are allowed to cool and become firm. The finished tofu can then be cut into pieces, flavored or further processed.


title: Tofu

text: Although tartness is sometimes desired in dessert tofu, the acid used in flavoring is usually not the primary coagulant, since concentrations sufficiently high to induce coagulation negatively affect the flavor or texture of the resulting tofu. A sour taste in tofu and a slight cloudiness in its storing liquid is also usually an indication of bacterial growth and, hence, spoilage.


title: Tofu

text: The whiteness of tofu is ultimately determined by the soybean variety, soybean protein composition and degree of aggregation of the tofu gel network. The yellowish beige color of soybeans is due to the color compounds including anthocyanin, isoflavones and polyphenol compounds; therefore the soybean variety used will predicate the color of the final tofu product. Ways to reduce the yellow color include reducing isoflavone content by changing the pH of the soy milk solution used in the production of the tofu so that the relevant compounds precipitate out and are removed during the extraction of okara. The opacity of tofu gel and the off-white color typical of standard uncooked firm tofu is due to the scattering of light by the colloidal particles of the tofu. The addition of higher levels of calcium salts or a high protein content will contribute to forming a denser and more aggregated gel network which disperses more light, resulting in a tofu with a whiter appearance.


title: Tofu

text: Tofu flavor is generally described as bland, which is the taste desired by customers in North America. A more beany flavor is preferred in East Asia. The beany or bland taste is generated during the grinding and cooking process, and either a "hot grind" or a "cold grind" can be used to influence the taste. The hot grind method reduces the beany flavor by inactivating the lipoxygenase enzyme in the soy protein that is known to generate off flavors. Eliminating these off flavors makes a tofu that is "bland". If a cold grind is used lipoxygenase remains and produces the aldehyde, alcohol and ester volatile compounds that create beany notes.


title: Tofu

text: A wide variety of types and flavors of tofu is available in both Western and Eastern markets. Despite the range of options, tofu products can be split into two main categories: 'fresh tofu', which is produced directly from soy milk, and 'processed tofu', which is produced from fresh tofu. Tofu production also creates important by-products that are used in various cuisines.


title: Tofu

text: Unpressed fresh tofu is gelled soy-milk with curd that has not been cut and pressed of its liquid. Depending in whether the soy-milk is gelled with bittern (magnesium chloride) solution or a suspension of gypsum (calcium sulphate), different types of unpressed tofu is produced. Gypsum-gelled soft tofu has a smooth and gel-like texture and is commonly known as soft tofu, silken-tofu, or douhua (). The bittern-gelled variety has a very soft spongy curdled texture and is known as extra-soft or "sun-dubu" ().


title: Tofu

text: Unpressed tofu is so soft that it is directly ladled out for serving or sold with its gelling container.


title: Tofu

text: Unpressed bittern-gelled soft tofu is called "sun-dubu" (; "mild tofu") in Korean. Soy milk is mixed with seawater, or saline water made with sea salt, so that it curdles. The curds remain loose and soft. Freshly made "sun-dubu" is eaten boiled with little or no seasoning. Manufactured "sundubu" is usually sold in tubes. It is also the main ingredient in "sundubu-jjigae" (; "soft tofu stew").


title: Tofu

text: Although the word "sun" in "sun-dubu" doesn't have a Sino-Korean origin, "sun-dubu" is often translated into Chinese and Japanese using the Chinese character , whose Korean pronunciation is "sun" and the meaning is "pure". Thus in China, "sun-dubu" is called "chún dòufu" (; "pure tofu"), and in Japan, it is called "jun-tōfu" () or "sundubu" ().


title: Tofu

text: Soft tofu, also known as "silken tofu", is called "nèndòufu" (; "soft tofu") or "huádòufu" (, "smooth tofu") in Chinese; "kinugoshi-dōfu" (; "silk-filtered tofu") in Japanese; and "yeon-dubu" (; ; "soft tofu") in Korean. Gelled with gypsum, this tofu is undrained, unpressed and contains a high moisture content. Silken tofu is produced by coagulating soy milk without cutting the curd. Silken tofu is available in several consistencies, including soft and firm, but all silken tofu is more delicate than regular firm tofu (pressed tofu) and it has different culinary uses. Silken tofu can be used as a substitute for dairy products and eggs, especially for smoothies and baked desserts.


title: Tofu

text: "Douhua" (, also known as , "dòufuhuā" in Chinese), or "tofu brain" ( or , "dòufunǎo" in Chinese) or "dau fa" (Cantonese) and "tau hua" (Fujianese) (; "bean flower") is similar to silken tofu, but is typically served a few hours after it is prepared. It is most often eaten as a hot dessert, but sometimes salty pickles or hot sauce are added. This is a type of soft tofu with a very high moisture content. Because using chopsticks make "douhua" difficult to pick up, it is generally eaten with a spoon. With the addition of flavorings such as finely chopped spring onions, dried shrimp, soy sauce or chilli sauce, "douhua" is a popular breakfast dish across China. In Malaysia, "douhua" is usually served warm with white or dark palm sugar syrup, or served cold with longans. It is frequently served at breakfast or for dessert. It is usually served either with a sweet ginger syrup, or a mushroom gravy called "da lu" (). It's normally coagulated at the restaurant into a serving container. Douhua is not always considered a type of tofu, but rather a type of food in its own right.


title: Tofu

text: Some variation exists among soft tofus. Black douhua (, hēidòuhuā) is a type of silken tofu made from black soybeans, which is usually made into "dòuhuā" () rather than firm or dry tofu. The texture of black bean tofu is slightly more gelatinous than regular "douhua" and the color is greyish in tone. This type of tofu is eaten for its earthy "black bean taste". "Edamame tofu" is a Japanese variety of "kinugoshi tōfu" made from "edamame" (fresh green soybeans); it is pale green in color and often studded with whole "edamame".


title: Tofu

text: Depending on the amount of water that is extracted from the cut and pressed curds two types of tofu are produced: firm, and extra firm. Fresh tofu is usually sold completely immersed in water to maintain its moisture content and freshness, and to suppress bacterial growth.


title: Tofu

text: Firm tofu (called "lǎodòufu" in Chinese; , "momen-dōfu" in Japanese, "cotton tofu"; , "mo-dubu" in Korean): Although drained and pressed, this form of fresh tofu retains a high moisture content. It has the firmness of raw meat and bounces back readily when pressed. The texture of the inside of the tofu is similar to that of a firm custard. The skin of this form of tofu retains the pattern of the muslin used to drain it and the outside is slightly more resistant to damage than the inside. It can be picked up easily with chopsticks.


title: Tofu

text: A very firm type of "momen-dōfu" is eaten in parts of Japan, called "ishi-dōfu" (石豆腐, "stone tofu") in parts of Ishikawa, or "iwa-dōfu" (岩豆腐, "rock tofu") in Gokayama in the Toyama Prefecture and in Iya in the prefecture of Tokushima. These types of firm tofu are produced with seawater instead of "nigari" (magnesium chloride), or using concentrated soy milk. Some of them are squeezed using heavy weights to eliminate excess moisture. These products are produced in areas where traveling is inconvenient, such as remote islands, mountain villages, and heavy snowfall areas.


title: Tofu

text: "Dòugān" (, literally "dry tofu" in Chinese) or "su ji" (, vegetarian chicken) is an extra firm variety of tofu where a large proportion of the liquid has been pressed out. "Dòugān" contains the least moisture of all fresh tofu, the firmness of fully cooked meat, and a somewhat rubbery feel similar to that of paneer. When sliced thinly this tofu can be crumbled easily. The skin of this form of tofu has the pattern of the muslin used to drain and press it. Western firm tofu is milled and reformed after pressing.


title: Tofu

text: Su ji is a more common type of unflavored, extra-firm tofu. It cannot be crumbled and has a more rubbery texture. One variety of dried tofu is pressed especially flat and sliced into long strings with a cross section smaller than 2 mm × 2 mm. Shredded dried tofu (, "dòugānsī" in Chinese, or simply , "gānsī"), which looks like loose cooked noodles, can be served cold, stir-fried, or added to soup, as with Japanese "aburaage".


title: Tofu

text: Many forms of processed tofu exist. Some processing techniques probably originate before the days of refrigeration from the need to preserve tofu, or to increase its shelf life. Other production techniques are employed to create tofus with different textures and flavors.


title: Tofu

text: During freezing, the ice crystals puncture cell walls and facilitate the release of free and bound water and cause a decrease in total water content in tofu after freezing then thawing. The initial protein-water bonds are irreversibly replaced by protein-protein bonds, which are more elastic which cause a structural change to the gel network and lead to an increase in textural properties such as hardness, springiness, cohesiveness and gumminess.


title: Tofu

text: In Japan, two kinds of freeze-dried tofu are produced. Those are usually rehydrated by being soaked in water prior to consumption. In their dehydrated state they do not require refrigeration.


title: Tofu

text: Tofu skin is produced when soy milk is boiled in an open, shallow pan, thus producing a film or skin composed primarily of a soy protein-lipid complex on the liquid surface. The films are collected and dried into yellowish sheets known as "soy milk skin" (, "fǔpí" in Chinese; , "yuba" in Japanese). Its approximate composition is: 50–55% protein, 24–26% lipids (fat), 12% carbohydrate, 3% ash, and 9% moisture.


title: Tofu

text: The skin can also be dried into a product known as "tofu bamboo" (, "fǔzhú" in Chinese; "phù trúc" in Vietnamese; "kusatake", Japanese), or into many other shapes. Since tofu skin has a soft yet rubbery texture, it can be folded or shaped into different forms and cooked further to imitate meat in vegan cuisine. Some factories dedicate their production to tofu skin and other soy membrane products. Tofu skin is commonly sold in the form of dried leaves or sheets. Other people would put the "tofu bamboo" into congee (a watery rice mixture that is eaten in breakfast) so that the congee becomes more silky and smooth, and gives a whole new texture. Also, a soft, fragile skin would be on the congee once it cools down.Tofu skin is cooked with noodles.<ref name="Chichi's Chinese: Tofu Skin 'https://www.seriouseats.com/chichis-chinese-tofu-skin-part-two' and Rolls"></ref>


title: Tofu

text: Okara, from the Japanese is known as "xuěhuācài", in Chinese, lit. "snowflake vegetable"; , "dòufuzhā", also Chinese, lit. "tofu sediment/residue"; and , "kongbiji", in Korean).


title: Tofu

text: Sometimes known in the west as "soy pulp" or "tofu lees", "okara" is a tofu by-product consisting of the fiber, protein, and starch left over when soy milk has been extracted from ground soaked soybeans. It is often used as animal feed in most tofu producing cultures, but also has other uses in Japanese and Korean cuisines, such as in the Korean stew "kongbiji jjigae" (). It is also an ingredient for vegetarian burgers in many Western nations. In Japan, it is used to make ice cream.


title: Tofu

text: The term "tofu" is used by extension for similarly textured curdled dishes that do not use soy products, such as "almond tofu" (almond jelly), (egg), (sesame), or peanut tofu (Chinese "luòhuāshēng dòufu" and Okinawan ).


title: Tofu

text: Due to their East Asian origins and their textures, many food items are called "tofu", even though their production processes are not technically similar. For instance, many sweet almond tofus are actually gelatinous desserts hardened using agar or gelatin. Some foods, such as Burmese tofu, are not coagulated from the "milk" of the legume but rather set in a manner similar to soft polenta, Korean muk, or the jidou liangfen of Yunnan province of southwest China.


title: Tofu

text: "Almond tofu" ( "xìngrén dòufu"; Japanese: "annindōfu") is a milky white and gelatinous substance resembling tofu, but it does not use soy products or soy milk and is hardened with agar. A similar dessert made with coconut milk or mango juices may occasionally be referred to as "coconut tofu" or "mango tofu", although such names are also given to hot dishes that use soy tofu and coconut or mango in the recipe.


title: Tofu

text: Burmese tofu ("to hpu" in Burmese) is a legume product made from "besan" ("chana dal") flour; the Shan variety uses yellow split pea flour instead. Both types are yellow in color and generally found only in Myanmar, though the Burman variety is also available in some overseas restaurants serving Burmese cuisine. Burmese tofu may be fried as fritters cut into rectangular or triangular shapes.


title: Tofu

text: A variety called "hsan to hpu" (or "hsan ta hpo" in Shan regions) is made from rice flour (called "hsan hmont" or "mont hmont") and is white in color with the same consistency as yellow Burmese tofu when set. It is eaten as a salad in the same manner as yellow tofu.


title: Tofu

text: (Japanese: , , tamagodōfu) (, dàndòufu; often called , Rìbĕn dòufu, lit. "Japan bean curd") is the main type of savory flavored tofu. Whole beaten eggs are combined with dashi, poured into molds, and cooked in a steamer (cf. "chawanmushi"). This tofu has a pale golden color that can be attributed to the addition of eggs and, occasionally, food coloring. This tofu has a fuller texture and flavor than silken tofu, due to the presence of egg fat and proteins. Plain "dried tofu" can be flavored by stewing in soy sauce () to make soy-sauce tofu. It is common to see tofu sold from hot food stalls in this soy-sauce stewed form. Today Egg "Japanese" tofu is made of eggs, water, vegetable protein, and seasoning.


title: Tofu

text: Egg tofu was invented in Japan during the Edo period. The book《万宝料理秘密箱》written in 1785 recorded how to make Japanese tofu. Later the Japanese form of tofu entered Southeast Asia, being introduced to China in 1995 from Malaysia.


title: Tofu

text: 100 grams of Egg tofu has 17 mg calcium, 24 mg magnesium, and 5 grams protein while 100 grams tofu has 138 mg calcium, 63 mg magnesium and 12.2 grams protein. Compared with tofu, Japanese tofu's nutritional value is lower.


title: Tofu

text: Tofu dishes common in Japan include: three delicacies () Japanese tofu; shrimp Japanese tofu; Japanese tofu in ketchup; "teppanyaki" Japanese tofu; and Japanese fish-flavored tofu.


title: Tofu

text: In Okinawa, Japan, a peanut milk, made by crushing raw peanuts, adding water and straining, is combined with starch (usually sweet potato, known locally as "umukuji" or ) and heated until curdling occurs.


title: Tofu

text: The tofu known as is made by grinding sesame into a smooth paste, combining it with liquid and kudzu starch, and heating it until curdling occurs. It is often served chilled as "hiyayakko".


title: Tofu

text: Tofu has very little flavor or smell of its own. Consequently, tofu can be used in both savory or sweet dishes, acting as a bland background for presenting the flavors of the other ingredients used. In order to flavor the tofu it is often marinated in soy sauce, chillis, sesame oil, etc.


title: Tofu

text: In East Asian cooking, tofu is prepared in many ways, including raw, stewed, stir-fried, in soup, cooked in sauce, or stuffed with fillings. The idea of using tofu as a meat substitute is not common in East Asia.


title: Tofu

text: In Chinese cuisine, "Dòuhuā" () is served with toppings such as boiled peanuts, azuki beans, cooked oatmeal, tapioca, mung beans, or a syrup flavored with ginger or almond. During the summer, "dòuhuā" is served with crushed ice; in the winter, it is served warm.


title: Tofu

text: In many parts of China, fresh tofu is eaten with soy sauce or further flavored with "katsuobushi" shavings, century eggs ( pídàn), and sesame seed oil.


title: Tofu

text: With the exception of the softest tofus, all forms of tofu can be fried. Thin and soft varieties of tofu are deep fried in oil until they are light and airy in their core 豆泡 "dòupào", 豆腐泡 "dòufupào", 油豆腐 "yóudòufu", or 豆卜 "dòubǔ" in Chinese, literally "bean bubble", describing the shape of the fried tofu as a bubble.


title: Tofu

text: Depending on the type of tofu used, the texture of deep fried tofu may range from crispy on the outside and custardy on the inside, to puffed up like a plain doughnut. The former is usually eaten plain in Chinese cuisine with garlic soy sauce, while the latter is either stuffed with fish paste to make "Yong Tau Foo" or cooked in soups. In Taiwan, fried tofu is made into a dish called "A-gei", which consists of a fried aburage tofu package stuffed with noodles and capped with surimi.


title: Tofu

text: Tofus such as firm East Asian and "dòugān" (Chinese dry tofu), with their lower moisture content, are cut into bite-sized cubes or triangles and deep fried until they develop a golden-brown, crispy surface (炸豆腐 in Chinese, "zhádòufu", lit. "fried tofu"). These may be eaten on their own or with a light sauce, or further cooked in liquids; they are also added to hot pot dishes or included as part of the vegetarian dish called "luohan zhai".


title: Tofu

text: A spicy Sichuan preparation using firm East Asian tofu is "mápó dòufu" (). It involves braised tofu in a beef, chili, and fermented bean paste sauce. A vegetarian version is known as "málà dòufu" ().


title: Tofu

text: Dried tofu is usually not eaten raw but first stewed in a mixture of soy sauce and spices. Some types of dried tofu are pre-seasoned with special blends of spices, so that the tofu may either be called "five-spice tofu" ( "wǔxiāng dòufu") or "soy sauce stewed tofu" ( "lǔshuǐ dòufu"). Dried tofu is typically served thinly sliced with chopped green onions or with slices of meat for added flavor.


title: Tofu

text: Tofu bamboos are often used in lamb stew or in a dessert soup. Tofu skins are often used as wrappers in dim sum. Freeze-dried tofu and frozen tofu are rehydrated and enjoyed in savory soups. These products are often taken along on camping trips since a small bag of them can provide protein for many days.


title: Tofu

text: Pickled tofu is commonly used in small amounts together with its soaking liquid to flavor stir-fried or braised vegetable dishes (particularly leafy green vegetables such as water spinach). It is often eaten directly as a condiment with rice or congee.


title: Tofu

text: In Japan, a common lunch in the summer months is "hiyayakko" (), silken or firm East Asian tofu served with freshly grated ginger, green onions, or "katsuobushi" shavings with soy sauce. In the winter, tofu is frequently eaten as "yudofu", which is simmered in a clay pot in "kombu dashi", with vegetables such as Chinese cabbage or green onion.


title: Tofu

text: Deep fried tofu is called "atsuage" (厚揚げ) or "namaage" (生揚げ) in Japan. The thinner variety, called "aburaage" (油揚げ), develops a tofu pouch often used for "inarizushi".


title: Tofu

text: In Japan, cubes of lightly coated and fried tofu topped with a "kombu dashi"-based sauce are called "agedashi dōfu" (). Soft tofu that has been thinly sliced and deep fried, known as "aburage" in Japan, is commonly blanched, seasoned with soy sauce and mirin and served in dishes such as "kitsune udon".


title: Tofu

text: In Gifu Prefecture, there is a local specialty called "komo-dofu", which consists of tofu that has been wrapped in a "komo", or mat of woven straw, which leaves its imprint on the exterior. The wrapped tofu is then boiled in soup stock. Voids within the tofu develop during the boiling process, allowing the soup stock flavor to penetrate and giving it a distinctive porous appearance.


title: Tofu

text: Soft tofu can also be broken up or mashed and mixed with raw ingredients prior to being cooked. For example, Japanese "ganmodoki" is a mixture of chopped vegetables and mashed tofu. The mixture is bound together with starch and deep fried. Chinese families sometimes make a steamed meatloaf or meatball dish from equal parts of coarsely mashed tofu and ground pork.


title: Tofu

text: "Dubu" plays an important part in Korean cuisine. Tofu is often pan-fried and served as "banchan" with a dipping sauce. It is also used in many soups. Cubes of firm tofu can be seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, and other ingredients before pan-frying. A dish of tofu cubes simmered with similar spicy seasoning is called "dubu-jorim". "Dubu-kimchi" features blanched tofu served in rectangular slices around the edges of a plate with pan-fried "kimchi". This is a popular food to accompany alcoholic drinks ("anju"). Soft, unpressed "sun-dubu" is used as the main ingredient of "sundubu-jjigae" (soft tofu stew), while other soups and stews such as "doenjang-guk" (soybean paste soup), "doenjang-jjigae" (soybean paste stew), and "kimchi-jjigae" (kimchi stew) tend to have diced firm tofu in them. As in many other East Asian countries, tofu is also enjoyed in a hot pot dish called "dubu-jeongol" (tofu hot pot).


title: Tofu

text: In Indonesia, tofu is called "tahu", a loanword from the Hokkien Chinese pronunciation of tofu (tāu-hū, 豆腐). In Indonesian markets tofu is usually available in two forms: "tahu putih" or common white firm tofu; and "tahu goreng" or fried tofu that has developed a brown skin. "Tahu yun yi" or "tahu Bandung" is yellow tofu colored with turmeric.


title: Tofu

text: A common cooking technique in many parts of East and Southeast Asia involves deep frying tofu in vegetable oil, sunflower oil, or canola oil. In Indonesia, it is usually fried in palm oil. Although pre-fried tofu is often sold cold, it is seldom eaten directly and requires additional cooking.


title: Tofu

text: Popular Indonesian tofu dishes includes "tahu gejrot" and "kupat tahu". "Tahu gejrot" is "tahu pong" type of hollow fried tofu cut into small pieces, served with a thin, watery dressing made by blending palm sugar, vinegar and sweet soy sauce, garnished with chili pepper, garlic and shallot. "Kupat tahu" is slices of tofu served with "ketupat" rice cake, usually in peanut sauce dressing. Slices of tofu usually mixed in "gado-gado", "ketoprak" and "siomay".


title: Tofu

text: "Bacem" is a method of cooking tofu originating in Central Java. The tofu is boiled in coconut water, mixed with "lengkuas" (galangal), Indonesian bay leaves, coriander, shallot, garlic, tamarind and palm sugar. After the spicy coconut water has completely evaporated, the tofu is fried until it is golden brown. The result is moist but rather firm, sweet and spicy tofu. This cooked tofu variant is commonly known as "tahu bacem" in Indonesian. "Tahu bacem" is commonly prepared along with tempeh and chicken.


title: Tofu

text: In the Philippines, the sweet delicacy taho is made of fresh tofu with brown sugar syrup and sago. The Malaysian and Singaporean version of "taho" or "douhua" is called "tofufa" or "taufufa". Warm soft tofu is served in slices (created by scooping it from a wooden bucket with a flat spoon) in a bowl with either pandan-flavored sugar syrup or palm sugar syrup.


title: Tofu

text: In Vietnam, "dòuhuā", pronounced tào phớ, phớ, tào phở, óc đậu, tàu hủ/đậu hũ nước đường, đậu hoa, and đậu pha is a variety of soft tofu made and carried around in an earthenware jar. It is served by being scooped into a bowl with a very shallow and flat spoon, and it is eaten hot together with either powdered sugar and lime juice or a ginger-flavored syrup.


title: Tofu

text: Another popular dish with tofu would be bún đậu mắm tôm which is a dish with rice noodles served with tofu and shrimp paste.


title: Tofu

text: Generally, the firmer styles of tofu are used for kebabs, mock meats, and dishes requiring a consistency that holds together, while the softer styles can be used for desserts, soups, shakes, and sauces.


title: Tofu

text: Some people enjoy tofu made and prepared with chocolate and making it into pies and mousse along with other tofu desserts .


title: Tofu

text: Firm Western tofu types can be barbecued, since they hold together on a barbecue grill. These types are usually marinated overnight as the marinade does not easily penetrate the entire block of tofu. (Techniques to increase the penetration of marinades include stabbing repeatedly with a fork or freezing and thawing prior to marinating.) Grated firm Western tofu is sometimes used in conjunction with textured vegetable protein (TVP) as a meat substitute. Softer tofus are sometimes used as a dairy-free or low-calorie filler. Silken tofu may be used to replace cheese in certain dishes, such as lasagna. Tofu has also been fused into other cuisines in the West, for instance in Indian-style curries.


title: Tofu

text: Tofu and soy protein can be industrially processed to match the textures and flavors of cheese, pudding, eggs, bacon, and similar products. Tofu's texture can also be altered by freezing, puréeing, and cooking. In the Americas, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, tofu is frequently associated with vegetarianism and veganism, as it is a source of non-animal protein.


title: Tofu

text: In India tofu is used as a low-fat replacement for paneer, providing the same texture with a similar taste.


title: Tofu

text: Tofu is relatively high in protein, about 10.7% for firm tofu and 5.3% for soft "silken" tofu, with about 5% and 2% fat respectively, as mass fraction. Most of tofu mass is water, typically between 76% and 91%.


title: Tofu

text: Tofu is considered a cooling agent in traditional Chinese medicine. It is claimed to invigorate the spleen, replenish qi, moisten and cool off yang vacuity, and detoxify the body. However, there is no scientific evidence supporting such claims, nor their implied notions.


title: Tofu

text: Tofu is made from soy milk which is a turbid colloid liquid/solution. Tofu structure is related to soy milk components, particularly colloid components such as protein particles and oil globules. Protein particles content increases with the increase of the globulin ratio in the soybeans. Tofu varieties ensue from adding coagulants at various concentrations.


title: Tofu

text: The two main components of the soybean important in tofu making are the 11S component, containing glycinin and the 7S subunit, containing hemagglutinins, lipoxygenases, b-amylase, and β-conglycinin. The major soy protein components, in the two fractions that make up 65–85% of the proteins in soybeans, include glycinin and β-conglycinin. The soybean protein consists of many different subunits which are sensitive to heat, pH and ionic strength and become unevenly distributed among soluble and particulate fractions due to hydrophilic and hydrophobic interaction because of the amino acid composition.


title: Misanthropy

text: Misanthropy is the general hatred, dislike, distrust or contempt of the human species, human behavior or human nature. A misanthrope or misanthropist is someone who holds such views or feelings. The word's origin is from the Greek words μῖσος "mīsos" 'hatred' and ἄνθρωπος "ānthropos" 'man, human'. Misanthropy involves a negative evaluative attitude towards humanity that is based on a negative judgment concerning mankind's flaws. These flaws are seen as "ubiquitous", i.e. possessed by almost everyone to a serious degree and not just by a few extreme cases. They are also held to be "entrenched", meaning that there is either no or no easy way to rectify them short of a complete transformation of the dominant way of life.