Tofu: A Culinary Rescue from Politics

Why has a 2,000-year-old food become a political punchline? In this episode, we unpack the strange culture war around tofu—a staple across Asia for millennia, now unfairly stereotyped in the West as the bland mascot of the “wokerati.” We explore tofu’s real story: a product made much like cheese, with textures ranging from silky to extra-firm, and a culinary versatility that lets it mimic chorizo one moment and crisp up beautifully in a stir-fry the next. And we challenge the idea that tofu must replace meat at all—looking at dishes like Sichuanese mapo tofu, where bean curd and beef work together in perfect harmony. So how did tofu get stuck with a bad reputation, and what do we lose when politics shapes our palate?https://www.economist.com/culture/2025/01/27/tofu-never-judge-a-food-by-its-political-reputation