Tofu and Salt Making

Overview

Press soybeans into soy milk and vary how it sets to make different tofu. Nigari from coastal salt making connects the soybean field and the shore in one workshop.

Things to enjoy

Press, set and drain

Curdle soy milk into yose tofu, then use the mould for momen tofu or the press for shima tofu. Set soy milk directly in the silken mould for silken tofu.

Gather salt and nigari

Extract brine from beach sand and boil it down for salt and nigari. Salt goes into cooking; nigari sets tofu. If you only need salt, rock salt provides another source.

Use the byproducts

Okara left after pressing soy milk can be eaten or put into a composter for the fields.

Regional tofu from shared curds

Okinawan yushi tofu has regional characteristics such as salting and serving the curds with their whey. Here, unpressed curds share the yose tofu ingredient used for shima tofu and yushi tofu soba.

Key items

SoybeansA carrot-style field crop — plant the bean itself.
Soaking TubA tub for soaking beans.
Soaked SoybeansSoybeans swollen from a night in water; mill them into namago.
IshiusuA stone mortar for milling grain.
NamagoSoaked beans ground at the stone.
Small PotA small pot for quicker cooking over a heat source.
NigoNamago boiled in a pot to remove its green taste.
Pressing VatThe pressing vat for brine, juice and oil.
Soy Milk BottleSoy Milk BottleSoy milk pressed from nigo in the vat.
OkaraWhat is left after the soy milk is pressed out; it collects in the pressing vat's byproduct slot.
Curdling TubThe tub where nigari is struck into soy milk.
Yose TofuSoy milk struck with nigari and left to set — tofu that never saw a mould.
Tofu MoldA cloth-lined mould with a perforated floor; a weight on the lid presses the water out.
Momen TofuYose tofu pressed in a cloth-lined mould — the cloth leaves its weave on the block.
Silken Tofu MoldSilken Tofu MoldA mould with no holes.
Silken TofuSoy milk set whole in the mould.
Tofu PressTofu PressA levered press that clamps yose tofu into firm shima tofu.
Shima TofuYose tofu clamped hard in the press.
Brine SandSalt-laden sand generating in beach patches — the salt line's ore.
Brine VatThe salt line's leaching vat; spent sand returns in the byproduct slot.
Brine BottleBrine BottleConcentrated brine leached from brine sand; boil it down in the salt kettle.
Salt KettleThe kettle that boils brine down to wet salt; needs heat below.
Wet SaltSalt still holding its bittern; not usable until drained.
Draining BedThe draining bed that drips nigari off wet salt; time is all it needs.
NigariSolid bittern drained from wet salt on the draining bed; it sets soy milk into tofu.
SaltSalt from rock salt or the coastal salt line.
Rock SaltRock salt in the stony highlands.
Leached SandSpent sand.