Practice JLPTMeaning
豆腐 (とうふ, Tofu) is Tofu — a Japanese food (tofu dishes).
What is Tofu?
Tōfu was introduced to Japan in late 8th century by Zen Buddhist monks, who initially called it "Chinese curd" (唐腐 tōfu ). Much of tofu's early use in Asia was as a vegetarian substitute for meat and fish by Buddhist monks, especially those following Zen Buddhism. Japanese miso soup is frequently made with tofu. A common lunch in the summer months is hiyayakko (冷奴), silken or firm Asian tofu served with freshly grated ginger, green onions, or katsuobushi shavings with soy sauce. In winter, tofu is frequently eaten as yudōfu , which is simmered in a clay pot in kombu dashi, with vegetables such as Chinese cabbage or green onion. Deep fried tofu is called atsu-age (厚揚げ) or nama-age (生揚げ ) in Japan. The thinner variety, called abura-age (油揚げ), develops a tofu pouch often used for inari-zushi . Cubes of lightly coated and fried tofu topped with a kombu-dashi -based sauce are called agedashi-d ō fu (揚げ出し豆腐). Soft tofu that has been thinly sliced and deep fried, known as abura-age in Japan, is commonly blanched, seasoned with soy sauce and mirin and served in dishes such as kitsune-udon . Soft tofu can also be broken up or mashed and mixed with raw ingredients prior to being cooked. For example, ganmodoki is a mixture of chopped vegetables and mashed tofu. The mixture is bound together with starch and deep fried, creating a fritter.