Honouring Women Who Shaped Tofu and Plant-Based Movements
Tofu has travelled through time as a symbol of nourishment, versatility, and compassion. Yet, when we look back, its story is not one of open celebration of women—it is one of quiet, often unacknowledged labour. Women prepared, sold, and sustained tofu for centuries, but their names rarely appeared in the historical record.
Today, however, women are reclaiming and reshaping tofu’s story, from artisan kitchens to global food-tech labs. This blog honours their contributions—but also recognises the complexities of history, the erasure that shaped it, and the debates that surround today’s plant-based movement.
The Historical Record: Erasure and Everyday Expertise
Origins of Tofu
According to legend, tofu was first created during China’s Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) by Liu An, a prince and scholar. Drawings of tofu production have been discovered in Han tombs, and its spread was closely tied to Buddhism, where monks relied on it as a vegetarian protein source.
No known female inventor is recorded. In fact, women’s culinary contributions were systematically excluded from early gastronomic texts, which were written almost exclusively by elite men. This “double neglect” meant women’s everyday expertise remained confined to the household—essential but invisible.
Cultural Contradictions
Rather than being celebrated, women’s association with tofu often carried problematic undertones:
Tofu xishi – a phrase describing a woman who is beautiful but poor, reducing her identity to appearance.
Chi doufu (“eating tofu”) – a slang term that originated from harassment of a tofu shopkeeper, and today directly refers to sexual harassment.
These cultural references reveal a striking paradox: women’s work sustained tofu traditions, yet the broader culture often framed tofu and femininity in ways that objectified or diminished them.
Tofu as Women’s Work: Survival and Entrepreneurship
Despite systemic erasure, women kept tofu alive in kitchens, villages, and marketplaces:
Domestic artisanship – Women soaked soybeans, ground milk, and pressed curds, passing recipes down through generations.
Community sustenance – Tofu provided affordable protein, often shared within villages as a source of food security.
Urban entrepreneurs – Women ran tofu stalls and shops, some among the earliest examples of female entrepreneurship in Asian food culture.
Their work may not have been celebrated in texts, but it was indispensable in practice.
Modern Pioneers: Women at the Forefront of Change
Where history muted women’s voices, the modern plant-based movement has elevated them. Three pioneers illustrate its diversity:
Miyoko Schinner – Founder of Miyoko’s Creamery, she used traditional cheesemaking techniques to craft plant-based dairy, even winning legal battles to call her products “butter.”
Jenny Goldfarb – A self-taught cook who turned her homemade plant-based “corned beef” into Unreal Deli, backed by Mark Cuban on Shark Tank.
Dr Lisa Dyson – A physicist turned entrepreneur, she founded Air Protein, using NASA-inspired technology to create protein from carbon dioxide.
These women represent three distinct paths: artisanal craft, grassroots entrepreneurship, and high-tech science. Together, they show that the plant-based future is not monolithic—it is multifaceted, and women are leading at every level.
The Institutional and Global Context
The plant-based movement today is more than individual pioneers—it is a structured industry:
The Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and the Plant Based Foods Institute (PBFI) lobby for fair labelling laws, retail access, and consumer education.
Women-led advocacy groups drive climate-friendly food policies and expand access to plant proteins in malnourished regions.
Yet, the movement also faces criticisms:
Nutrition debates – Critics argue that plant-based diets risk nutrient deficiencies (e.g., iron, B12, zinc), especially for children if not well-planned.
Environmental debates – Some say focusing on diet distracts from fossil fuel reduction, which remains the largest driver of climate change.
Acknowledging these criticisms doesn’t weaken the movement—it strengthens credibility by showing openness to dialogue.
Tofu as Empowerment: From Past to Future
Despite historical neglect, tofu has been a quiet tool of empowerment:
Providing women with economic independence, from village artisans to global CEOs.
Allowing women to act as cultural custodians, preserving tradition while modernising recipes.
Inspiring health advocacy, where dietitians and activists promote tofu as part of sustainable, balanced diets.
Honouring Women, With Eyes Open
The story of tofu and women is not one of uninterrupted celebration. It is a story of labour unrecognised, contributions undervalued, and cultural contradictions that reveal the weight of patriarchy. But it is also a story of resilience—and of women today reclaiming tofu as a tool of creativity, sustainability, and social change.
To honour women in tofu’s history is to acknowledge both erasure and empowerment. By doing so, we ensure that the future of tofu—and the plant-based movement it inspires—is written with the recognition and respect women always deserved.
