Tōfu-Making — From Soymilk to Firm and Silken

China, introduced to Japan in 7th century — fully naturalised and refined in Japan

Traditional Japanese tofu production begins with dried soybeans soaked overnight, ground into 'go' (soy slurry), cooked to extract soymilk, then coagulated with nigari (bittern — magnesium chloride from sea salt production) or gypsum (calcium sulfate) to form curds, which are then pressed (or not) into the final product. Silken tofu (kinugoshi): soymilk coagulated directly in the serving vessel without pressing — the curd sets as one unbroken mass of custard-like texture. Cotton/firm tofu (momen): curds broken and pressed under weight to expel whey — denser, more protein-concentrated, more robust. The coagulant choice matters: nigari produces a more complex, slightly mineral flavour and softer curd; gypsum produces a smoother, more neutral curd with firmer set. Regional tofu specialities include Kyoto's extremely delicate silken tofu (served raw with just dashi and soy), Okinawa's shimadofu (very firm, almost feta-like, coagulated with sea salt), and Koya-dofu (freeze-dried tofu — a Buddhist mountain speciality).

Fresh tofu has delicate, sweet soy milk flavour with clean finish; nigari tofu has slight mineral-sea complexity; quality degrades rapidly — freshness is paramount