According to a YouGov poll, tofu is the fourth most-hated food in the country – after anchovies, liver, and sardines.
What the hell? All of these are excellent (yes including tofu)
I agree with you, but this isn’t surprising. I’m not one whose usual go to is “blame the media,” but these four foods do have strong media narratives.
- tofu - In media it is primairily played for laughs associated with vegetarians and vegans. If prepared poorly, it can be really bland and an unusual texture. Season it right and it is a delight.
- sardines - In media it is primairily played as a hard poverty indicator. Bones could be considered an odd texture and an off-putting concept. Great cheap high protein food enjoyed on crackers, out of the tin, or in a salad. Often tinned with fun flavors.
- anchovies - In media it is primairily played as a yucky pizza topping for laughs. Bones could be considered an odd texture and an off-putting concept. The saltiness/fishieness IS extreme, so an unexpected anchovie can be shocking. Even if most can’t handle full anchovies, ceasar salad dressing is broadly popular.
- liver - In media it is primairily played as a poverty indicator. Middle class stopped raising and using the whole animal, so organs get relegated to low income food status. I hazard to say liver is the least media influenced opinion. Can be chalky, but a nice fried liver or mixed into stuffing or gravy is very homey.
In a culture that burguer is the culinary peak, im not surprised
Clearly haven’t eaten themselves a nice Mapo Tofu
I don’t believe this is anything but anti-vegan sentiment. Tofu is entirely inoffensive at worst, and delicious at best.
“I just don’t like the texture” You’re free to not like tofu personally for whatever reason, but that doesn’t explain tofu appearing above squid and well above okra.
It’s only because tofu doesn’t come in a 128 oz refillable cup and contain 3000% of your daily sodium and sugar intake.
Fix that, and Americans will lap it up.
People are cowards.
Among adults aged 45 to 64, for example, 60 percent stated dislike or hatred for tofu. Just five percent loved it, and 13 percent liked it.
Today I learned I’m part of the 5%, however I’m also an omnivore.
I like most of those things on their list of hated foods. My lunch yesterday was a very tasty tofu bibimbap also with kale which is on their list of hated foods.
On that list, I’m not going to speak on the fish options in a vegan community and I don’t eat land meat, but tofu can be really good or incredibly meh, and in the Midwest where I grew up it’s usually the latter.
Kale is similarly excellent but you gotta do it right and you gotta be in the mood for it as it is definitely brassica oleracea and a rough green.
Okra, yeah it’s real good when done right but real easy to make real bad.
Beets I’m surprised despite not caring for them, but it’s because I find them too sweet for any context when I’d use a root vegetable.
Kale is similarly excellent but you gotta do it right and you gotta be in the mood for it as it is definitely brassica oleracea and a rough green.
Another one of my favorite from the brassica family is brussel sprouts. Halved (or quartered for the big ones), tossed with olive oil and roasted with some salt and pepper. I could almost eat only that for entire meals.
Beets I’m surprised despite not caring for them, but it’s because I find them too sweet for any context when I’d use a root vegetable.
I’ll agree with you on beets not being friendly with other root veggies generally. For root veg, turnips, parsnips, and shallots roasted are amazing. For beets though, raw beets with walnuts are the main vegan ingredients of a wonderful side dish. I like the flavor of beets, but they are pretty messy to prepare fresh.
That makes sense. Tofu has a ton of versatility and can be absolutely amazing, however that’s not most Americans’ experience with it. For me and many Americans our first experience with it was as a healthy meat replacement, and while it can fill that role, it’s one of the roles that takes a lot more skill to put it into.
And speaking of skill, tofu takes some learning to cook well, so while those who learn to cook it well can do amazing things with it, those who just give it a try as they’re curious or have a vegan/vegetarian coming over for dinner are likely to have it come out as “bland food block” and not want to try it again.
And its versatility comes at the cost of identity and clarity for those new to it. “Just put it in whatever you’re cooking as a protein source” isn’t helpful to people who don’t understand how to play to its strengths, but instead leads to it being served in dishes meant to showcase the strengths of other protein sources.
All that made it an easy target for meat culture warriors in a way that foods like falafel and black bean burgers were able to avoid. Hell even stuff like seitan and other direct meat substitutes have gotten off easier than tofu because less people have tried them and because they aren’t their own thing they’re able to reside in the realm of “pretty good substitute” whereas by tofu excelling where it excels in places most Americans won’t experience it it’s in a really tough position.
Middle-aged and older Americans were most likely to report hatred or dislike for tofu. Among adults aged 45 to 64, for example, 60 percent stated dislike or hatred for tofu.
morons took a bite out of a raw block of tofu back in the 70s and have spent the last 50 years malding about it
I eat tofu every day
