The millennium-long tale of tofu is one intertwined with cultural appropriation and Westernization. When Americans hear its name, perhaps an image of a bland, white slab of sponginess is conjured in their mind. They might think of Whole Foods, a trendy cafe menu or that TikTok vegan who posts rainbow Buddha bowls everyday. They might nod and smile, but wouldn’t desire it.
The mashed soybean product, also called bean curd, is often seen as a healthy alternative to meat in the West, sold next to veggie burgers and salad mixes in grocery stores. It’s become tied to trendy, high-minded veganism that, while surely environmentally beneficial, can be a big turn off for everyone not in the club.
However, tofu is also a 2,000 year old traditional food in East Asia, where it is eaten by meat-eaters and vegetarians alike and never considered bland. What was lost in translation, then?
The first problem with the Western view of tofu is its substitute identity. People are told to be more moral by eating less meat and eating alternatives like tofu instead. To some, it becomes yet another branch of holier-than-thou liberalism. But, as replacements go, like banana “nice” cream, they aren’t the same as what they are meant to replace, so there is always a difficult expectation to overcome.
I’m not arguing for eating more meat; I wish for the opposite. I want recipe creators, magazines and bloggers to realize the context of tofu’s ancient existence and how much more delicious it can be in the right applications. Rather than slapping tofu instead of beef into a random lasagna, let’s adapt culturally relevant recipes responsibly.
In fact, in traditional recipes, tofu is commonly served with, not in place of, an animal protein, whether it’s ground pork in mapo tofu or seafood in the Korean stew jjigae. It can be a canvas for juxtaposition of flavors and textures, playing harmoniously with deeply spicy or savory dishes. If it’s served alone, the dish is catered to honor the unique characteristics of tofu, such as steamed silken tofu.
This leads to the second key issue of tofu’s mistreatment, which stems from the lack of understanding. It’s no wonder people associate tofu with blandness when it’s left to internet bloggers, who throw plain firm tofu willy-nilly into a curry and call it done. Like with any ingredient, different types of tofu bring completely different results to the table. From ultra-jiggly silken tofu to smoked pressed tofu to delicate sheets of tofu “skin,” they all have their unique usages. Recipes calling for an incorrect type or cooking method might be, well, a recipe for disaster. Imagine throwing in a plain, boiled chicken breast onto alfredo pasta. Would you like chicken based on that experience?
More than this, “tofu” gives the West an overblown conception of their own knowledge of other cultures. Though widely popular Americanized gateway products like sriracha and Pocky can help sponsor openness to Asian culture, sometimes Americanization turns people away too early. It goes beyond tofu; it’s a pattern of centering the desires of a Western audience and adjusting the very nature of other things, from a sushi roll to rock and roll. Like sugary American-Chinese food, entire cultures can be reduced to one skewed, bastardized portrayal, which people never venture past.
If you truly enjoy eating bland tofu, fine. Just know that it doesn’t have to be that way. Tofu has been morphed into smoothies, cheesecake and steaks, which is okay, but don’t blame the tofu if you don’t like it. That’s not its purpose.
So, how about we all start over with tofu. Can we respect cultural traditions? Can we see things for what they are, not what others portray them to be? Can we learn to appreciate tofu?
Recommended Recipes:
Miso Soup, add Silken Tofu
Five-Spice Tofu With Vegetables
Image created by Caroline Chen/The ECHO.
