Ingredient

Tofu

Also called bean curd, beancurd, doufu and dòufu

Tofu is made from pressed soy milk and is sold fresh or dried. It can be soft, firm, gelatinous or spongy, and can become crisp when cooked. Cooks marinate, boil, simmer, fry or grill it, and pair it with soy sauce or sesame oil.

Allergen: soy

About the plain ingredient, not packaged products; general information, not medical advice. Details

Made from: Soy milk
Texture: Firm, gelatinous, soft
Cooked most in: Asia
Top country: Indonesia
Dishes: 17 in the catalogue
Energy: 144 kcal per 100 g

Photo: DryPot · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

In the kitchen

How to use tofu

Typical ways to cook or use it

Boil simmer
Deep fry
Grill
Marinade
Shallow fry

Preparing it

Freeze and thaw tofu before pressing to make it more porous and absorbent.

Cooking with it

Most tofu can be fried, but the softest types are an exception.

Goes well with

Flavour

Taste and texture

Texture

Firm
Gelatinous
Soft
Spongy

Texture, cooked

Crisp

Shopping

Choosing and storing tofu

Sold as: Dried, Fresh

Nutrition

What 100 g of tofu holds

Per 100 g, raw. Averages from USDA; real values vary by variety, season and growing conditions.

Protein 60%Fat 30%Carbohydrate 10%of the macronutrients by weight

Nutrition per 100 g of tofu, raw
Energy	144 kcal · 603 kJ
Protein	17 g
Fat	8.7 g
of which saturated	1.3 g
Carbohydrate	2.8 g
of which sugars	0.62 g
Fibre	2.3 g
Sodium	14 mg
Cholesterol	0 mg

Nutrition per 100 g of tofu, raw: minerals and vitamins
Potassium	237 mg
Calcium	683 mg
Iron	2.7 mg
Magnesium	58 mg
Zinc	1.6 mg
Vitamin C	0.2 mg
Folate	29 µg

Source: USDA FoodData Central (foods 172475, 172476), public domain. Minerals and vitamins are listed only where USDA measured a non-zero amount.

Around the world

Where tofu is cooked

17 dishes in the catalogue use tofu. Here is where they come from.

Dishes by continent

Asia16

Countries whose dishes use it most

Counts are catalogued dishes from each country that list tofu among their ingredients.

Origins

902 · Indonesia
An inscription records tofu among foods served at a Javanese ceremonial feast.
965 · Japan
Tofu first appeared in Japanese records.
1878 · United States
The first US tofu company was established.

On the table

Dishes made with tofu

16 of the 17 catalogued dishes that use it, spread across the countries they come from.

Gado-gado
Indonesia
Dojo doufu
Japan
Bai ye
China
Rujak soto
Indonesia
Sapo tahu
Indonesia
Rujak cingur
Indonesia
Tambunsu curry
Indonesia
Tahu campur
Indonesia
Rojak
Indonesia
Ketoprak
Indonesia
Gulai tauco
Indonesia
Tahu bakso
Indonesia
I know
Indonesia
Bacem tofu
Indonesia
Tempe Gembus
Indonesia
Bakso Malang

Dish lists come from Wikidata; a dish counts when its recorded ingredients include tofu.

Good to know

Diet and allergens: tofu in detail

These notes describe the plain ingredient. Packaged and prepared products vary, so read the label; for allergies and medical diets ask a doctor or dietitian.

Allergens: Contains: soy
Animal origin: No animal ingredients foundChecked and not found: egg, fish, meat, dairy, honey, insect, poultry, shellfish, other animal.
Caffeine: None

Family

Related forms

Made from: soy milk (pressed)