Adult Third Culture Kid (TCK) Minh Tsai’s journey to becoming a tofu expert began in Vietnam.
In 1980, Tsai’s parents told him they were going on a family vacation. It wasn’t until they were on the boat that his parents confessed, they were leaving Vietnam.
“Literally one night, we packed up and were gone,” he says.
They were headed to a refugee camp in Malaysia.
After achieving the “American Dream” earning a master’s degree from Columbia University and working in investment banking, Tsai decided to starting a food business (Hodo). Inspired by the flavors he grew up with, Tsai started making authentic tofu selling at one farmer’s market stand in San Francisco, Calif., U.S.A.
Twenty years later, Tsai is known as the “Tofu Disruptor,” making one of the most sought-after tofu brands in the U.S. — Hodo.
Tsai shares:
We are the innovators of tofu and have shifted the American perception to no longer think of tofu as Asian or vegetarian — they add tofu to their shopping cart like any other healthy protein.
An example of innovation is Tsai collaborating with Chipotle to create the famous plant-powered vegan option, Sofritas — made with Hodo’s extra-firm tofu.
Among Hodo’s top-selling products are: Extra Firm Tofu, Organic Miso Tofu, Vegan All-Day Egg Scramble and the recently introduced Thai Red Curry Tofu.
