Buying Tofu in Japan (2024)

Tofu has become a very popular food throughout the world, widely known for its health benefit. And unlike the most parts if the world, you can get a freshly made tofu in any supermarket. The difference in price usually comes from whether they are mass produced or not. The more expensive tofu will be using non-GMO domestic soy beans, and may be organic. Still, even if you buy the most expensive ones on the shelf it is still cheaper alternative to meat and other protein sources with less calories.

Types of Tofu available in the Market

Basically there are two main types of Tofu:

Kinugoshi Tofu （絹ごし豆腐） Silken Tofu, Soft Tofu – for salads and hiyayakko. Labeled "絹ごし" or "きぬごし"
Momen Tofu （もめん豆腐） Firm Tofu – For stir fry and cooking. Labeled "木綿" or "もめん"

Nutrition wise, because of the difference in the manufacturing process, the momen tofu (firm tofu) contains almost double the protein and vitamin E and 3 times more calcium than the kinugoshi tofu (soft tofu). Whereas the soft tofu contains more Potassium and water soluble vitamins such as vitamin B1 & B2.

but you will also notice there are other variations:

Shima Tofu（島豆腐）– Very firm tofu from Okinawa, mainly used for stir fries.
Sukiyaki Tofu 【すき焼き豆腐）- This Tofu is pre-grilled and is mainly used for sukiyaki.
Juten Tofu（充填豆腐）Long-life Tofu – sold in packets without water
Oboro Tofu or Yose Tofu or Zaru Tofu（おぼろ/寄せ豆腐/ざる豆腐）Fresh Tofu – usually eaten at it is. In a round package.
Jiima Tofu（ジーマー豆腐)　Peanut Tofu – usually eaten as it is
Goma Tofu（ごま豆腐）Sesame Tofu – usually eaten as it is.

The good news that no matter which kind you happen to buy, they can be eaten raw, stewed, pan fried, deep fried or any way you like.

If you decide to cook your tofu, it will need to be drained as contains a lot of water. If you omit this process, you may end up with a very soggy stir-fry, or a tofu that is too soft. The draining will firm up the tofu and prevent it from falling apart when cooked.

How to drain a tofu
There are several methods of draining a tofu and the recipe will usually tell you how to drain. Here are the methods.

1. Lightly Drain -Take tofu out of the package and drain on a sieve and leave for 3- 5 minutes
2. Medium Drain -Wrap a block of Tofu in a kitchen towel and leave for 5 -10 minutes
3. Press Drain -Wrap a block of Tofu in a kitchen towel and place a plate on and under the tofu. Place about 1 Kg weight on the top plate and leave for 20 – 30 minutes.
4. Boiling -Place Tofu in a pot, pour water until it covers the top. Bring to boil, simmer for 3- 4 minutes.

Ingredients (For 2- 3 servings)

• Tofu (Firm) 1 block (about 300 - 350g)
  
• Slice Beef 200g
  
• Onion 1
  
• Mirin 3 Tbsp
  
• Soy sauce 3 Tbsp
• Sugar 1.5 Tbsp
• Dashi (Soup Stock) 450 ml
  
• Sake (Rice wine) 3 Tbsp
  
• Spring Onions 2-3
  

1. Cut the tofu into 6-8 pieces. Cut the Onion into 6 wedges. Cut the Beef in 1 inch strips. Chop the spring onions.

2. Mix the dashi, mirin, soy sauce, sugar and sake in a medium size pot, and add the tofu and bring to boil on medium heat. Once it starts to boil, add the onions and place a drop lid on it. Simmer for 6 -7 minutes.

3. Take off the lid, Move the tofu to one side and add the beef and loosen it with your chopstick so it doesn’t stick together.

4. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving bowl, Garnish with Spring Onions.

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