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3 foodie worlds: Tofu treats, Ajiro high-class veg, fu wheat gluten

Tofu in Japan most famous super food! Learn more!

Japan is huge for foodies and I should know. I have been hunting for, suggesting and booking restaurants across the country since 1990! And I also watched the foodie world explode worldwide (across the internet and on TV and mags and more!). Foodies from abroad have found Japan in waves over the last 20 years or so. Before it was sushi and Kobe Beef. Today, it's those things and ramen and tempura and desserts and yakitori chicken. I'm not much of a chef but I do love to create good food for myself and my family and friends. I love potlucks!

And never forget that food in Japan can always, and I mean always, be combined with picnics. Every place you go in Japan is not far from a shrine precinct, a temple zone, a park, a river or a stream. And in many places the hills can be seen on the edge of town and that's where amazing picnic adventures happen! So do combine the new Japanese foods you eat with picnics. The tofu doughnuts, see below, that you can find on Kyotos' famous Nishiki market stream can be eat in the serene worlds of Rokkudo Temple nearby and behind the temple are swans, Japan's biggest ikebana flower arrangement school and a killer "hidden" Starbucks that looks at the temple grounds. What more could you ask for?

This post's first foodie theme is tofu, and tofu cuisine has a lot of variations! Learn more below!

This post's second foodie location, high-class, slow-food Ajiro, is both samurai | monk related and vegetarian. Ajiro, which is also in Kyoto, is very old and embedded in the neighborhood of one of Japan's largest Zen complexes (Myoshinji). Ajiro is on the expensive side and requires reservations well in advance and the meals take over an hour to view and eat. I have eaten there only once and it was an exceptional experience. English is well spoken by most of the staff. Learn more below!

The last topic of this post, fu wheat gluten cuisine, is virtually unknown to even advanced Japan foodies. Fu wheat gluten came to Japan via China and by the merchant-class dominated Edo period it was a much loved cuisine style and ingredient. For educated Japanese people the idea of fu wheat gluten is an instant connection with the vegetarian cuisines of the Zen Buddhism. It was also a prized ingredient for upper-class banquet meals. In the late 16th century, the "founder" of the Japanese tea ceremony, Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591), pioneered a wheat gluten tea ceremony sweet revolution. Today, wheat gluten is pretty hard to find in any Japanese supermarket. But it's still widely used at many restaurants and in the Japanese sweets industry. And it has also become a health or diet trend fave as a low calorie, rich protein source. Learn more!

Content by Ian Martin Ropke, owner of Your Japan Private Tours (est. 1990). I have been planning, designing, and making custom Japan private tours on all five Japanese islands since the early 1990s. I work closely with Japan private tour clients and have worked for all kinds of families, companies, and individuals since 1990. Clients find me mostly via organic search, and I advertise my custom Japan private tours & travel services on www.japan-guide.com, which has the best all-Japan English content & maps in Japan! If you are going to Japan and you understand the advantages of private travel, consider my services for your next trip. And thank you for reading my content. I, Ian Martin Ropke (unique on Google Search), am also a serious nonfiction and fiction writer, a startup founder (NexussPlus.com), and a spiritual wood sculptor. Learn more!

Japan's tofu worlds from dishes to desserts!

For over two millennia in Buddhist China and 1,000 years in Japan, where meat was either a luxury or a sin, soybeans have served as the most important source of protein. Tofu, soybean curd, is a traditional, natural food, prepared in essentially the same way today that it was more than one thousand years ago.

Tofu is a high-protein food with an alkaline composition which promotes long life and good health. Due to its nutritional properties, the popularity oJapan foodie worlds: Tofu treats, Ajiro high-class veg, fu wheat gluten wows tofu has grown steadily around the world. Tofu is one of the few plant protein foods to have all of the eight amino acids required by the body. It is also rich in calcium and several vitamins and minerals. And no other high-protein food can boast tofu’s low calorie and fat levels (80% unsaturated), and zero cholesterol levels. But the real magic is that tofu is amazingly flexible; it can be used for everything from oils and sauces, to pastes and protein additives.

The technique of making tofu has hardly changed since it was introduced from China some 800-1000 years ago. Raw soybeans are washed, soaked in water for several hours to soften, and then ground into a purée by millstones. This purée is then boiled in water for 10-15 minutes and poured into a heavy cloth bag that acts as a sieve, and pressed. The soy milk (tonyu) that flows out is collected in a cloth-lined box, where it sets into tofu with the help of a coagulant added to the beans after boiling. Today this is often a chemical compound, but the best tofu is still made with nigari, an extract of sea water, which also adds a delicate sweetness. A wooden cover weighted by heavy stones is placed on the tofu to help it set, and after a couple of hours of soaking in pure well water, voila! momengoshi tofu (“cotton tofu”), named for the marks left behind by the cloth. The other main kind of tofu is kunigoshi tofu (“silk tofu”), made simply by pouring the boiled purée mixture straight into molds, and adding the coagulant. Kunigoshi tofu is unique to Japan, and has a prominent role in Kyo ryori, Kyoto’s haute cuisine.

In Japan, tofu has several important bi-products, and these are virtually unknown outside of Japan. The main ones are yuba (silky sweet soy milk skin, and okura (coarse soy pulp). Yuba is the soft, warm film that rises to the surface when soy milk is gently heated. It is skimmed off the top in sheets with long sticks and then rolled and dried for use later in soups, for wrapping food, etc.. It is also sometimes served nama or raw as nama-yuba with soy sauce or a dressing. There are many yuba shops in Kyoto and on the old market streets of Tokyo and Osaka.

After soybeans have been ground, the smooth puree is spooned into boiling water, returned to the boil, and simmered. This is then ladled into a sturdy, coarsely-woven cloth sack and soy milk is drained out. What’s left in the sack is okara, crumbly, with a fine-grained texture; it is used to give body to sauteed vegetable dishes, soups, casseroles, breads, and salads. Okara’s greatest nutritional asset is its dietary fiber, now considered to be an essential part of every well-balanced diet. If you are trying to save money or don't have much, then bear in mind that okara is available in pretty big amounts for next to nothing at large tofu shops.

In the winter months, a favorite food is yaki-dofu, or grilled tofu. Yaki-dofu is momengoshi placed on a short multi-pronged skewer and grilled over a charcoal fire. Although it is available in any supermarket, it’s worth seeking it out at one of the little speciality tofu shops that still dot the city; here you know that the product is fresh that day, and likely prepared with traditional methods. Another favourite of the autumn and winter months, although served in restaurants year-round, is agedashi-dofu, deep fried tofu. Unlike oage, which is deep fried at the tofu shop and then used in dishes, agedashi-dofu is prepared just before eating, and should come to the table hot. In the summer months, the perfect tofu meal is plain kunigoshi, eaten with a bit of soy sauce, minced ginger and scallions. Smooth, delicate, and mild, kunigoshi’s deliciously cool texture helps to fight off the summer heat.

Naturally, Kyoto is without question the best place to experience the incredible range that tofu has to offer. In the area's many vegetarian restaurant's and temples (like Uji's Mampuku-ji (Zen)) you can enjoy nearly every kind of tofu variation without even thinking about meat or fish. The lucky tourist or resident may even be fortunate enough to experience the old way of selling tofu door to door— a hand-pushed cart with two big bicycle tires and a distinctive rubber horn, which rings clearly through the neighborhood telling everyone far and wide that fresh tofu is waiting.

Recommended tofu ideas for Kyoto & Tokyo

Yubahan: At Yubanhan, you can watch sheets of yuba being skimmed off the top of steamy wooden beds of simmering soy milk. All kinds of yuba products are sold here. On the west side of Fuyacho-dori (two blocks west of Teramachi), approximately 60 m north of Oike Street. Open 8 am - Sunset; closed Thurs. Tel: 221-5622.

Okara House: This cozy little natural foods restaurant and eco-goods shop takes its name from okara, the protein-rich leftovers from tofu making. The friendly staff here serves a variety of delicious home-made dishes, including an okara side dish (with hijiki, greens, and other vegetables), okara croquettes, and home-made cakes and cookies too. They also serve dandelion coffee. Located south of Ninna-ji Temple. Open 10:00 am- 6:00 pm. Closed Sundays. Tel: 462-3815.

Tofu Jaya: A innovative and wonderfully produced tofu shop and restaurant (see pg 13) that uses only Japanese soy bean products, Tofu Jaya was created to promote the wonder and endless possibilities of tofu. Located on the west side of Pontocho, about 150 meters south of Sanjo. Shop: 11:00 - 20:00. 2F Restaurant: 11:30 - 2:00; 5:00 - 9:00 (till 9:30 on weekends and holidays). Reservations necessary. Tel: 212-7706.

Tagoto: Tagoto specializes in yuba cuisine and kaiseki, served in a traditional Japanese setting with over 100 years of history. Located just a few meters north of Shijo street (just west of Kawaramachi), Tagoto offers the visitor a variety of excellent choices. Their Yuba Course (¥3,500) is both highly recommended and reasonably priced. Open: 11 am-9 pm. Tel: 221-1811.

Department store specialty tofu shops: All the major department stores in Kyoto have tofu specialty shops in the basement. The tofu sold in these shops, though more expensive, is of the finest quality available and often made with local ingredient.

Tofu Fujino: Sweet, low-cal tofu treats: Tofu doughnuts, tofu cake, tofu ice cream, tofu you-name-it. Kyoto’s most famous tofu maker, Kyo Tofu Fujino Co., is constantly expanding what you can do with tofu. And for good reason. Japanese people are eating less and less tofu, and more and more tofu is being produced by a few giant companies. To survive traditional tofu makers have to reinvent themselves. Tofu Fujino has been reinventing itself for two generations and is doing booming business. (For more information; Tel: 463-1035; Url: http://www.kyotofu.co.jp; e-mail: info@kyotofu.co.jp>. They have outlets in Tokyo’s, Osaka’s and Kyoto’s best department stores, their own specialty shops and a tofu restaurant.

Konnamonja: For something a little less expensive and a whole lot more casual check out Konnamonja, which sell soymilk donut (¥150 for 8 pieces) and soymilk ice cream. There are two Konnamonja shops in Kyoto: 1) on Kyoto’s famous, covered Nishiki market street at the northwest corner of Sakaimachi (10:00-19:00; open year round); 2) in the basement food section of the Qanat shopping center on Kawabata south of Kitaoji (closed some Thursdays).

Kyo-Tofu Fujino: High-end elegance and tofu cuisine excellence: Kyo-Tofu Fujino in the Kyoto Station Building is the place to go for a great tofu meal in stylish surroundings and views. They offer course meals that change with the seasons (lunch from ¥1,500; dinner from ¥3,500). Located on the 11th floor of Isetan Department store. Open 11:00-22:00 (last order 21:00). Tel: 352-1111. Kyoto Station is a shopping center in Kyoto City and always lots of hustle and bustle there and also in the myriad of restaurants north and northwest of the station.

Kyoto's private Ajiro samurai vegetarian restaurant

Shojin ryori, the vegetarian cuisine served in the Rinzai, Soto, and Obaku sects of Zen Buddhism, is one of the culinary delights of Kyoto and can be enjoyed at a variety of temples and restaurants in the city. As a vegetarian who has spent a fair amount of time in Zen temples, I have long had a special interest in shojin ryori and the places that serve it. So, on a recent visit to Kyoto it was a treat to find Ajiro, which immediately became the latest addition to the small list of restaurants where I must eat whenever I am back in this city.

Ajiro is located across the street from the south gate of Myoshin-ji, one of the head temples of the Rinzai sect of Zen with some 3,500 sub-temples all over Japan. A huge temple complex in the north of Kyoto, Myoshin-ji is also famous for its shojin ryori. For thirty years, Ajiro specialized in catering ceremonies and services at Myoshin-ji, but since rebuilding and opening to the public four years ago, this small restaurant has been putting a new spin on the centuries-old Myoshin-ji tradition of cuisine.

The menu at Ajiro changes every month, says head chef Chiba Mitsuru, in accord with the season and its offerings. Although not trained as a priest, the fresh-faced and soft-spoken Chiba is mindful that shojin ryori is meant to be sustenance for the spirit as well as the body.

A friend and I had lunch at the restaurant in early spring, not too long after Setsubun (Feb 03), the traditional spring celebration marked by throwing beans to rid the new year of demons and bad luck. Unshelled peanuts are more common these days, but soybeans are traditional, and they had place of honor in the February menu at Ajiro.

Still so new that its wood almost squeaks, the restaurant has only two small rooms on the first floor and two larger ones on the second. The food is served on the low lacquered tables and is brought course by course to your room. As February is also the month when Japanese apricots bloom, we were first served a cup of ume-yu, a piece of pickled Japanese apricot in hot water sweetened slightly with sugar.

That was followed by daizu-dofu, soybean tofu thickened with arrowroot. Seasonal variations of this Ajiro dish, I'm told, include tofu made with lotus root, pistachios, or walnuts. Next was a bowl of daizu-mochi, glutinous rice cakes made with soybeans, wood ear and lily bulb, floating in a rich stock and garnished with grated citron.

This distractingly good dish was served with a cup of Omuro no Hana, a tasty local sake with a sweet edge to it. Next was the boxed lunch, pleasing both to the eye and tongue. Among the appetizing array of vegetables was a dish of rape buds, bamboo shoot, yuba (soybean milk skin), and nama-fu (wheat gluten) in a delicate tofu sauce and one of Daitoku-ji natto (preserved soybeans) in a tiny dumpling made of ground lily bulb.

About sated by the time we had finished our boxes and miso soup, we perked up to drink the yuto, bowls of hot water which had been flavored with salt and grilled rice balls, then ate the rice balls too. In temples, yuto is often served instead of tea. In the past, when rice was prepared in wood-burning ovens, it was one way to use the scorched rice on the bottom of the pot.

For dessert, there were strawberries with wedges of icy grapefruit. Tea, too, was offered. We passed on the tea but, in good temple fashion, had cleaned all of our plates, not wasting a bit of the food that had been prepared with such right attention. Ajiro is, without doubt, one of the best places in Kyoto to sample shojin ryori.

While in the neighborhood, be sure to take a walk around Myoshin-ji, rich in artistic, architectural, and landscaped treasures. One of the oldest sub-temples on the grounds, Taizo-in (Taizo-in is open daily to the public from 9 am to 5 pm. The entrance fee is ¥600. ) is known for its rock garden, designed by the great Muromachi period painter, Kano Motonobu, who superbly managed to pass on his painterly vision in the trees, shrubs, and rocks of the garden. The temple also owns of one of the masterpieces of Japanese brush and ink painting, Catching a Catfish with a Gourd. (A copy is displayed at the temple; the original is in the Kyoto National Museum of Art.) If you're lucky, you'll be able to linger and enjoy the garden.

Ajiro: Hanazono Myoshin-ji Minami Mon-mae, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto; Open for lunch (¥3,000) from noon to 3 pm. Dinner (¥6,000 and up) served from 5 to 9 pm daily except Wednesdays, and guests are requested to enter no later than 7 pm. Reservations are necessary. Tel: (075) 463-0221.

Amazing Japanese fu wheat gluten ideas to consider!

Fu or wheat gluten is an unusual ingredient in Japanese cuisine that has an interesting history. Like so many other aspects of Japanese civilization, fu was invented China. It first appeared on the culinary scene in Japan during the Kamakura Period (1185-1333). For most of its history it has been associated with the vegetarian cuisine of the Zen Buddhist tradition, as well as a material for upper-class banquet meals. In the 16th century, the tea ceremony genius, Sen no Rikyu, played an important role in popularizing fu for use in tea ceremony sweets. Today, fu is a rare commodity on supermarket shelves, and most people seldom incorporate it into their home cooking. However, as a material fu continues to play an important role in Zen vegetarian cuisine, in the traditional Japanese sweets industry, and increasingly in Western vegetarian cooking. It is also a food source that is becoming increasingly popular in other countries as a low calorie, rich source of protein.

Making fu is a simple but time consuming, labor intensive process. First, wheat flour dough is kneaded for about 2 hours to form the gluten. Then, a generous amount of water is used to separate the starch from the gluten, which floats to surface. For nama-fu, the gluten is combined with rice flour according to the type of texture and consistency desired. Though there are other factors, the quality of the water used and final water content are the most important factors that distinguish high quality fu from normal quality fu. In terms of nutrition, fu is a high source of protein that is low in sodium and fat. Like tofu, it has an inherently mild flavour which is particularly suited to the Japanese palate. And because it is mild, fu does not overshadow the natural flavors of other ingredients it is combined with. It is also easy to shape into any number of forms. Below is a short introduction to three places in Kyoto that specialize in fu. See for yourself what this unusual world is all about.

Hanbei Fu: Kyoto's oldest fu creator: Established in 17th century, about 300 years ago, by Hanbei Yorozuya, Hanbei Fu is the oldest fu maker and creator in Japan. Hanbei's Fu has been long favored by many major Zen Buddhist temples in Kyoto where they serve vegetarian cuisine. These include Mampuku-ji, Tofuku-ji, and Kennin-ji. The variety of fu prepared at Hanbei Fu is considerable. Secondary ingredients include yomogi leaves, sesame seed paste, and millet. Their nama fu, or raw fu, mixed with sweetened azuki bean paste and wrapped in bamboo leaves is particularly well known. In addition to distributing fu to Japanese restaurants, department stores, and high class food shops all over Japan, they also run a shop at the Kyoto Central Food Wholesale Market, which functions as a distribution and information outlet for Kyoto retail businesses. Open 11 am to 2:30 pm. Closed on Sundays and national holidays. Reservation required for the restaurant. Located in Tonya-cho, south of Gojo, in Higashiyama-ku. Tel: 525-0008.

Fuka: Fuka, one of Kyoto's oldest fu makers, has been doing business for over 130 years a few hundred meters west of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, in an area of town that was once the center of Kyoto's fu industry. At one time, from the late Edo period to the early Meiji period, Fuka was the official fu purveyor for the imperial family. Not one to rest on his family's past reputation, the present head of the business, Mr. Shoji Kobori (6th generation), continues to run his shop according to the strictest quality standards possible. This, of course, continues to keep Fuka's fu among the best in Kyoto. It is also Fuka's good fortune to be blessed with its own supply of pure well water, perhaps the most important ingredient in making great fu. Fuka's shop and factory continue to express the best of Kyoto's traditional high-quality design, making use of the finest construction materials. Fuka sells its products to top Kyoto restaurants and temples, as well as retailing to individual consumers through department store specialty boutiques. They also sell nama-fu traditional Japanese sweets, etc. from their factory shop. Tours of the fu making process, from start to finish, are gladly welcomed, and can be easily arranged with advance notice. Located 1 and 1/2 blocks north of Marutamachi on Nishi-no-Toin, the small street behind the Kamigyo-ku fire station (shobo-sho). Tel: 231-1584. Fax: 231-3625.

Izusen: Vegetarian dining in timeless Zen surroundings: Overlooking the garden of Daiji-in Temple, a sub-temple of Daitoku-ji, one of Japan's most important Zen Buddhist centers, Izusen specializes in shojin ryori (Zen vegetarian cuisine) centered around fu and yuba (soya milk curd). Meals are served indoors in tatami-mat rooms, Japanese-style. When the weather is warm and fine, meals can be had at low tables set outside beneath the trees in the garden. Reasonably priced lunch sets (ranging from ｴ3,000 to ｴ6,700) are served in red-lacquer bowls, which have been designed to fit into on another when not in use. As the restaurant is quite popular during spring and autumn, recommendations are recommended. Open Monday-Wednesday, Friday-Sunday 11 am - 4 pm. (last order 3 pm) Located inside of the Daitoku-ji temple complex., north of Kitaoji-dori, east of Horikawa. A 20-min walk west of Kitaoji subway station. Or take bus #204, 205, 206 to Daitoku-ji-mae. Tel: 491-6665.

Content by Ian Martin Ropke, owner of Your Japan Private Tours (est. 1990). I have been planning, designing, and making custom Japan private tours on all five Japanese islands since the early 1990s. I work closely with Japan private tour clients and have worked for all kinds of families, companies, and individuals since 1990. Clients find me mostly via organic search, and I advertise my custom Japan private tours & travel services on www.japan-guide.com, which has the best all-Japan English content & maps in Japan! If you are going to Japan and you understand the advantages of private travel, consider my services for your next trip. And thank you for reading my content. I, Ian Martin Ropke (unique on Google Search), am also a serious nonfiction and fiction writer, a startup founder (NexussPlus.com), and a spiritual wood sculptor. Learn more!