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Epicurious

Hiyayako—Chilled Tofu, Traditional Style

This dish is an easy summer favorite prepared with ingredients that every home in Japan has handy in the fridge and cupboard. You can pull it together in less than 10 minutes. Whenever I serve hiyayako to my American-born friends, the reaction is always the same: “Amazing!” The creamy tofu and aromatic, flavorful garnishes also pair beautifully with fruity sake or a chilled glass of white wine. Make sure you use soft “silken” tofu—the firmer varieties are only for cooking.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

1 (14-ounce) package soft (silken) tofu, rinsed under cold water and patted dry
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 scallion, both white and green parts, thinly sliced on an angle
2 obha leaves, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely shaved katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
Mitsuba leaves (optional)
Daikon sprouts (optional)
Japanese soy sauce

Preparation

  1. Cut the tofu into quarters, then slice each quarter into 12 equal cubes, but hold them together to retain the original shape. Place each block of cubed tofu in a serving bowl and top with one-fourth of the ginger, scallion, obha leaves, and katsuobushi. Garnish with the mitsuba leaves and daikon sprouts, if desired. Serve with a small cup of soy sauce.

Takashi's Noodles
TagsJapaneseEast AsianAsianTofuSnackStarterLunchDinnerDairy FreeNut FreeQuickEasyNo-CookCookbooks
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