tofu

American  

[toh-foo] / ˈtoʊ fu /

noun

tofus plural

1. a soft, bland, white cheeselike food, high in protein content, made from curdled soymilk: used in Asian and vegetarian cooking.

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tofu British  

/ ˈtəʊˌfuː /

noun

1. unfermented soya-bean curd, a food with a soft cheeselike consistency made from soya-bean milk

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tofus
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tofu

First recorded in 1875–80; from Japanese tōfu, from Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese dòufu ( dòu “bean” + fǔ “turn sour, ferment”)

Explanation

Tofu is a spongy cake made from the curds of mashed soybeans. Tofu isn't very flavorful unless you cook it with other ingredients and seasonings. Tofu can be described as a kind of cheese made from soy milk, and it often shows up on menus as "bean curd." Many East and Southeast Asian cuisines include tofu cooked in various ways, including deep fried, stir fried, curried, and grilled. Tofu is considered a healthy food, since it's high in protein and relatively low in calories. The word tofu is Japanese, from the Chinese doufu, a combination of dou, "beans," and fu, "rotten."

Example Sentences

For vegetarians, you can get your protein from lentils, nuts, milk, tofu and cheese too.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026

Researchers at ETH Zurich have now developed a new carbon capture material made from an unexpected source: waste products from dairy and tofu manufacturing.

From Science Daily • Jun. 11, 2026

The company has produced a meat substitute called Jiro Meat based on okara, a soy pulp typically discarded after making tofu and soymilk.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

All you’ll need is a block of tofu, cottage cheese and a few seasonings.

From Salon • May 24, 2026

The sauce is really good, and there’s a lot of it, so I barely taste the thin pieces of tofu.

From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson