Among the historical gems that Jia-Chen Fu has unearthed in her intricate study of the transformation of soymilk in modern Chinese history is a postcard of skinny Granny Soybean and her four soybean grandkids, armed with sticks, chasing a fat Madame Cow into the front gate of a museum. Printed by the China Nutritional Aid Council, a social welfare organization active from 1939–42, which attempted to produce and distribute soymilk and soybean cakes to children across southwestern China during World War II, the postcard hints at a world where dairy would be doomed to historical obsolescence, while the vigorous and energetic Granny Soybean and her many derivative products would rule the day.
