tofu

American  

[toh-foo] / ˈtoʊ fu /

noun

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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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”)

Example Sentences

"The weather is not good," Aminat Jimoh told AFP as he fried tofu by a cluttered roadside.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

For presentation, gingerly prop the tofu against the pork, shingling it out slightly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

“He had this amazing ability to come home, look in the refrigerator and cook a bok choy dish, a pork dish, and rice and tofu dishes in under an hour,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2025

This week's victims ate meals that included soy sauce chicken, fried tofu, vegetables and fruit – but past poisoning incidents have been linked to expired sauce and, in one case, the serving of fried shark.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025

I try and feed him the rest of my tofu, but he just pops up and snags the last dumpling when Chin is in the bathroom and Dad is talking to the waiter.

From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins