bean curd
1
2.8
- noun
- /biːn kɜrd/
:
tofu
- The factory produces soft and firm bean curd and related products such as bean-curd custard, soybean milk, and dauh-pok.
- bean curd custard
- fermented bean curd
- bean curd skin
Examples
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Of the 101 informants, 65 reported eating bean curd at least once a week.
Academic text (2001) -
As noted earlier, most people think that bean curd is a healthful food.
Academic text (2001) -
Unfermented, white, and soft bean curd is sold in square pieces of two or three different sizes.
Academic text (2001) -
A prosaic, even simple food, bean curd has provided crucial protein for Asia's poor for millennia.
Academic text (2001) -
In many Asian dishes, bean curd is a common ingredient used as a substitute for meat.
-
You can create a delicious stir-fry by adding bean curd along with vegetables and sauce.
-
Many vegetarians enjoy bean curd because it is a rich source of protein.
Synonyms
61
2.9
A soft white food made from soy milk often used instead of meat
How Firm
1
2.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'curd' denotes a coagulated, cheeselike substance and 'bean' specifies the source, so a learner who knows both words can infer a coagulated product made from beans (i.e. tofu). This formation is common across languages (e.g. Chinese 豆腐, Japanese 豆腐) and follows a straightforward noun+noun compound pattern, making it immediately comprehensible to B1 learners.
Etymology
The name bean curd comes from the simple idea of making curd from bean milk, like cheese made from cow milk. Soy milk is turned into soft white curds and pressed into blocks, so the name now refers to 'tofu', the soft, cheese-like food used as a 'meat substitute'.