But Western reporters covering President Obama’s recent state dinner in Beijing with Chinese leader Hu noted it: The high-profile event included chicken soup with bean curd.

If only prosperous, mutually-beneficial relations between the two countries bloom in the coming years, I will point to this meal – notably the soup with soybean cake - as the unifying agent.

You know: “World leaders, Obama and Hu, gather around tofu to talk pressing issues.”

If U.S.-China relations continue in the framework of diplomacy, dialogue and some bumps here and there, I will, nevertheless, note the historic moment.

Hey, I have to write sentences like that: I run a blog about soybean cake and other essential topics.

Really, I was happy to see that bean curd made the final cut for food to be served at that big round table.

The Associated Press has the details.

Some in the media have talked about the music the People’s Liberation Army’s band played at the dinner. 

By the way, when Hu dined at Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’ house in 2006, the menu included some Northwest touches, including Alaskan halibut and Walla Walla onions.

I wasn’t able to find out what type of bean curd was used – firm or soft or which company or person in China actually made it.

Or does Chinese President Hu have a staff of personal chefs who made it for this special meal?

Did it come from a tofu master in Anhui province, which the Chinese note is the birthplace of bean curd?

I don’t have those answers.

And it looks like there’s one way that Obama can cheer himself up – other than spend time with his family and dog - when national or global affairs have him down.

He can remind himself that a chef in Japan honored him by making a sushi roll in his likeness.

That’s right.

I came across this image when I was trying to track down information on the type of bean curd soup that was eaten at the state dinner in Beijing.

Japanese chef Ken Kawasumi apparently used black sesame for the hair and fish paste for the teeth. Photo source: MSN

I found it on this MSN page from Japan.

I don’t know when Japanese chef Ken Kawasumi made this roll but it might have been around the time of Obama’s inauguration.

Searching for more information about that bean curd soup dish, I also stumbled upon obamafoodorama.com, which does a great job chronicling food news through the lens of the White House.

Blogger Eddie Gehman Kohan operates the site and has received great attention for her efforts.

She also led me to Zilly Rosen’s Zilly Cakes and her cupcake homage to Obama. Yes, the images were posted on flickr.

Last year, Zilly Rosen of Zilly Cakes made a portrait of Obama, using over 1,200 cupcakes. Photo credit: Shasti O'Leary Soudant, posted at ZillyCakes.com

Obamafoodorama.com has a link to the White House Museum’s page on the White House kitchen.

The blog also has posts about the upcoming state dinner at the White House for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India.

Yes, I realize that I wrote recently about how easy it is to turn to popular culture following the president’s trip to Asia.

Well, what can I say?

I do like balance.

And it is popular for a reason.