Why does tofu get such a bad rap?

Question

I will admit that when I start cooking with tofu, it took me a while to learn how to season it and cook it properly, but I kept at it and now I can make some great tofu dishes.

Perhaps people who don't like tofu have never took the time to prepare it properly?

Answer 1

Tofu tastes fine to me, especially when mixed with other foods.  I had heard that soy actually contains a substance that causes blood cells to clump together.  It also contains a substance that limit absorbing vital nutrients from your food in the digestive system.  

Answer 2

I think to many ex-meat eaters think of it as a slab of veggie spam. They don't realize the extra work that goes into making it taste yummy. Probably most don't even bother pressing their tofu, or marinating it.  

Answer 3

I suspect that a significant minority of the people who claim not to like tofu have never tried it at all.  Many of the rest have had it only poorly prepared.  As with any food, if you've given it a fair shot, it's perfectly OK to just not like it.  But there's a pretty big margin of error with tofu (I'm a fan and I've certainly had terrible tofu before) and a lot of people never get past that.

Answer 4

no tofu is just straight up NASTY!!! i don't understand how someone could eat that, i mean cmon just eat MEAT, americans have no reason to become vegetarians

Answer 5

I never understood why as well. Once one gets the hang of it, as you said, you can make tofu taste any way you want it to taste! I also throw it in smoothies, comes out super creamy.  

Answer 6

I think most people know tofu as a health food, not vegetarian food.  And some people think anything that is a health food must be boring and bland (admittedly, some of it is).  

Personally, I don't eat a lot of tofu.  In fact I don't ever cook it for myself, I only order it occasionally at Asian restaurants.  While I realize that learning to prepare and cook it wouldn't be difficult, I don't normally like to spend too long cooking my meals.  Beans, nuts, and seeds (which require minimal or no cook time) are just easier for me.

Answer 7

I don't know! I'm not a vegan or a vegetarian, but I love tofu! I do not know how to properly cook it and therefore have only had it at restaurants, but I think it's great.  

Answer 8

Because tofu is not a western food. Aside "health food" and "vegetarian" use of tofu, culturally, westerners have no experience with tofu.

Answer 9

for me it's the texture. i don't mind the firm tofu, but soft tofu makes me feel like i'm eating a sponge. not a fan.

Answer 10

As Sarah Kramer says in one of her brilliant vegan recipe books, saying you don't like tofu is like saying you don't like flour. It's an ingredient.

It  can be used to make all kinds of sweet and savoury dishes as it takes the flavour of whatever it's cooked in. It isn't meant to be eaten unflavoured or unseasoned any more than flour is. I suspect people who say they hate it have never tasted it or tried to eat it just as it is.

Answer 11

I love Tofu to death! I started out like you, and now I can make some amazing things with tofu as well!

Answer 12

For me, it has nothing to do with taste.  It's all about the texture.  It just feels in my mouth like a big bite of jelled snot.  Sorry, that's just how I feel, no matter how it's seasoned and flavored and cooked!