tofu

noun

to·​fu ˈtō-(ˌ)fü How to pronounce tofu (audio)
: a soft food product prepared by treating soybean milk with coagulants (such as magnesium chloride or diluted acids) : bean curd
tofu is our most versatile form of nonanimal concentrated protein, as well as the least processed and the most traditional.Mark Bittman
The tofu … was sliced uniformly and stacked neatly in the bowl of clear, seafood-flavored broth.Karen Hayes
Vegetarian cooking has never been so simple. Supermarkets carry packaged convenience foods like tofu hot dogs …Norine Dworkin

Examples of tofu in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Pests also chewed through a bag of rice, and tofu was kept under the dishwashing sink at room temperature. Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2025 Tofu Breakfast Bowl Crumble one half-cup of firm tofu (21 grams of protein) and season with garlic, cumin, a hint of chili powder, and salt. Lauren O'Connor, Ms, Health, 18 Mar. 2025 For the Cantonese quail that recently replaced the lamb lengua as Addison’s meat dish, Bradley and his staff came up with a quail egg-drop soup (featuring silken tofu and shiitake mushrooms) that’s served before the main event of quail with a five-spice sauce. Andy Wang, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025 Specifically, Dada recommends silken tofu, the softest type. Caroline Tien, SELF, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tofu

Word History

Etymology

Japanese tōfu

First Known Use

1771, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tofu was in 1771

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tofu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tofu. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

tofu

noun
to·​fu ˈtō-fü How to pronounce tofu (audio)
: a soft food product prepared by coagulating soybean milk

called also bean curd

More from Merriam-Webster on tofu

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!