Do you like tofu? Your reaction to that question may say more about you than you realize.
Or at least, that's what some women on social media are arguing, using men's reactions to the soy-based product as a sort of litmus test for how they view women.
"Men's views on tofu directly reflect their views on women," a woman says in a video posted to TikTok that has gained nearly 3 million views, adding when men respond to it with "intense disgust," it's tied to fragile masculinity and fear of their place in society.
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Both in the comments and in video responses, others have chimed in to agree. User @angelinanicollle received 1 million views for a video in which she adds, "tofu and soy hate is so forced and it's because everybody is so uneducated," pointing to debunked claims that eating soy products will raise men's estrogen levels.
TikTokers may be onto something, said Emily Contois, author of "Diners, Dudes, and Diets: How Gender and Power Collide in Food Media and Culture" and associate professor of media studies at The University of Tulsa.
While food itself isn't gendered, it's one of the things our society creates gendered meaning around, she explained. "This idea that tofu maps on to femininity and that resistance to tofu tells us something about the masculinity of the man reacting to it, they're not off at all," Contois said of the TikTokers' takes.
Amy Chan, dating coach and author of "Breakup Bootcamp: The Science of Rewiring Your Heart,” said the viral tofu test − though not without its flaws − highlights the way daters are trying to subtly detect someone's political views, thoughts on gender and cultural openness.
"Something like tofu or veganism becomes symbolic. It’s no longer just a dietary preference," she said. "It's read as a stance on the environment, on ethics, on masculinity, on if you have toxic values."
But there can be downsides to this for daters too, she said.
'Alpha males' and 'soy boys'
Though modern ideas of masculinity have reinforced the connection between meat and manliness, Contois says there's a centuries-long historical precedent for tying gendered assumptions to food. Plants are associated with nurturing and femininity, whereas meat provokes the idea of "alpha male" hunters.
She said the interconnectedness of meat-eating, power and oppression is a main theme of Carol J. Adams' book "The Sexual Politics of Meat," which brought a similar discussion to light decades ago.
Not only does the viral tofu test highlight intersections of food and gender, some say it also brings into question someone's view on race and openness to other cultures since tofu is a staple for many Asians and Asian Americans.
"This is about more than gender," Contois said. "It's definitely about power on the plate."
Contois notes tofu is high in protein, too. It's just plant-based as opposed to animal-based. And research has even shown diets higher in red and processed meats are associated with higher erectile dysfunction, further dissolving the facade of meat equating to virility.
But even as practices like veganism became more mainstream years ago and more plant-based protein brands became available, the marketing still adopted the language of meat. Contois points to examples like "Beyond Meat" and the "Impossible Burger."
Even animal byproducts like milk can fall into these gendered categories. As more alternative milks came onto the scene, so did terms like "soy boy," an insult conveying weakness or lack of masculinity lodged at men open to plant-based or vegetarian diets.
RFK Jr.'s protein-heavy food pyramid
The conversation around meat, health and strength was renewed after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released the new dietary guidelines for Americans earlier this year, which put an emphasis on protein; meat now sits atop the newly-flipped food pyramid.
Health experts raised concerns that the push for protein was too simplistic by lumping processed and unprocessed options together − potentially causing confusion in health messaging, since too much red meat is associated with adverse health outcomes.
The health secretary has also promoted a meat-forward carnivore diet.
In a video with more than half a million views, user @esmehewitt argued the way anyone views tofu, vegetarianism or veganism "reflects who they are politically and morally," pointing to the environmental impact of the meat industry.
Contois agreed government and politics do play a role in how we think about these things.
"Under certain administrations, there was more conversation about climate change and the role of the kinds of foods that we eat, and particularly meat taking lots of resources," she added. "We are currently in a moment when you do see this very strong alignment between a Republican administration and their views on meat, on protein, particular ideas about masculinity, about marriage, about family and children − it's all wrapped together."
What the tofu test gets wrong
But the tofu test isn't without issues, Chan said.
"If you're judging someone who is anti-tofu, then you may also be guilty of making sweeping generalizations," she said. "Someone can eat meat and still care deeply about the environment or be very emotionally attuned. And someone can be plant-based and still lack relational skills."
Chan pointed to the psychological concept called "fundamental attribution error," which is "our tendency to take one behavior and assume it reflects someone's entire character," she explained.
"That's exactly where something like the tofu test can go wrong. You're taking a single interaction and turning it into a conclusion," she said, adding this can cause people to be more judgmental and guarded.
Just because some doesn't like tofu doesn't mean they're toxically masculine.
Contois adds there's a difference between people who have tried well-prepared tofu and genuinely dislike it versus those with an automatic, gut reaction that it's "gross" without ever having eaten it.
To get a better idea, Contois suggests tweaking the question to: "What do you think about tofu?"
"It opens the door to understand someone's belief systems around those ideas about power and subordination," Contois said.
And for some, it's not that deep, Chan said.
"The downside is we can start overinterpreting small signals and putting people into categories too quickly," she said. "This is wreaking havoc on dating, connecting and causing a bigger and bigger divide between men and women, where they are seeing each other as the enemy."
Whether someone likes tofu or hates it, the question makes for good conversation.
"Hopefully it leads to having a wonderful meal together," Contois added, saying the "human bond that forms when we break bread together" − or, in this case, tofu − can be magic.
So, time to find a tofu spot for your next date night?
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Women are testing men's tofu tolerance. Here's why
