Japan (nationwide urban and rural neighbourhood tradition; major presence in Japanese domestic life until 1970s)
The neighbourhood tofu shop (dofu-ya, 豆腐屋) was until the 1970s an essential daily presence in Japanese residential neighbourhoods — the artisan who rose before dawn to produce fresh tofu that sold out by mid-morning. These shops pressed the fresh soy milk daily, producing momen (firm), kinugoshi (silken), and yaki-dofu (grilled firm tofu) for sale within hours of production. The tofu-ya's route through residential streets ringing a bell in the early morning was a familiar sound of Japanese domestic life. Industrial tofu production (and the refrigerated distribution that enables longer shelf life) has largely ended the neighbourhood tofu shop era, but premium artisanal producers have re-emerged in cities catering to restaurants and food-conscious consumers. A serious tofu-ya uses nigatari (natural bittern from sea salt production) as the coagulant rather than the industrial GDL (glucono-delta-lactone), producing tofu with more complex mineral flavour and a characteristic slight bitterness. The soybean sourcing — domestic non-GMO daizu soy, ideally named-variety beans — is the quality foundation. Fresh tofu from an artisanal shop is eaten within hours with only a small amount of soy sauce and grated ginger.
Fresh tofu has subtle, sweet, mineral-clean soy flavour; nigatari-coagulated tofu has additional mineral depth and slight pleasant bitterness
{"Nigatari bittern coagulant: natural byproduct of sea salt crystallisation; produces complex, mineral tofu","Same-day consumption ideal: fresh artisanal tofu deteriorates in flavour and texture within 24 hours","Soybean quality: domestic non-GMO named varieties produce more flavourful, sweeter soy milk","Industrial vs artisanal: GDL coagulant produces blander, more shelf-stable, less minerally tofu","Morning production cycle: tofu made before dawn; sold and consumed same morning traditionally"}
{"Fresh tofu eaten warm (yudofu-style) directly from the pot reveals its natural sweetness most clearly","Ask artisanal tofu shops about their coagulant — nigatari producers are proud of this distinction","Sobagaki (buckwheat paste) and tofu are both traditional simple foods judged by purity of ingredient and process","Tofu lees (okara) are a valuable byproduct — sold cheaply or given away; nutritious and versatile in cooking"}
{"Refrigerating fresh artisanal tofu unnecessarily — consume at room temperature same day for best flavour","Over-pressing fresh tofu for cold applications — the point of fresh tofu is its inherent moisture and silkiness","Adding too much seasoning to fresh premium tofu — ginger, soy, and nothing else","Accepting industrial tofu as a proxy for artisanal — the difference in flavour is profound"}
Richie Donald, A Taste of Japan