RICE & TOFU

White Edible Gems of Japan

Simplicity is the most respected and honored essence of any form of Japanese culture. Food is one example, and probably the items that most represent this country’s simplicity are rice and tofu, two of the most essential eatables both culturally and culinarily.

Rice cultivation began in Japan about two thousand years ago and over the course of two millennia, rice-related rituals and activities became the notes that created the rhythm of the yearly Japanese cycle. For obvious reasons, rice cultivation, from the very start, was strongly connected to religious and spiritual rites in Japan.

Ta-no-Kami, or God of the Rice Paddies, was thought to protect rice plants and have the power to bring about abundant harvests. Like the other Shinto deities, this god did not dwell in the human world, but descended only during the time of festivals.  Rice first came to the northern area of Kyushu Island from China or along the Korean peninsula. By the 3rd or 4th century, cultivation covered much of southern part of the island of Honshu spreading as far as the present-day Tokyo region. Four hundred years later, rice cultivation had permeated the northern area of Honshu, reaching the very tip of the island sometime between the 12th and 14th centuries.

In the beginning, rice seeds were planted directly in the paddy fields. This method persisted until about the 5th or 6th century, when the practice of raising seedlings first in nursery beds and then transplanting them to the fields began. Seedlings, actually tall shoots, are raised in tight clusters during April and May and then in June, with the rains and the resulting high humidity, the seedlings are ready to be transplanted to the flooded fields in a process known as taue, or field-planting.

Rice is harvested in early autumn. The present method of cutting the entire stalk along with the rice husks began from about the time Kyoto became the capital of Japan (late 8th century). Previously, only the kernels were removed; the remaining stalk was then allowed to rot through winter and ploughed into the soil.

Rice and water.

This is all that is needed for cooking plain rice, a process that appears to be very simple and easy. However, preparing the perfect bowl of rice is actually much more difficult if one is not familiar with the key points . Almost every Japanese home has an electric rice cooker (suihan-ki) as people prepare rice regularly, but some people or high quality Japanese restaurants still prefer to use earthen pots (donabe).

Rice cooked in a normal pot can be done without difficulties but the amount of water and setting the right temperature is crucial. Generally, you should add the same amount of water as the rice but the key is to add slightly more water (about 10% more than the quantity of the rice; e.g. add 200ml water to 180ml rice). A non-stick pot is also recommended, but not absolutely necessary.

If some rice is stuck on the surface of the pot, simply add some water and let it soak for about a half an hour, and it will easily come off. Special alloy pots and rice cookers can make the rice fluffier and chewier, but rice was always cooked in a pot before the rice cooker was invented so it just requires more attention while cooking.

Soft, shiny white cubes. Very simple yet full of nutrition. That’s tofu. Japanese tofu is one of Japan’s most essential staple foods. Due to its nutritional properties, the popularity of tofu has grown steadily around the world. Also, for the rapidly increasing number of Westerners who find that a meatless or vegetarian diet makes good sense, tofu serves as a key source of protein.

There are several theories on how tofu was first brought to Japan. The most popular theory has it that tofu arrived in Japan between the late Nara period (710-794) and the early Heian period (794-1185) in the company of Japanese monks and scholars who were returning from studying all forms of Chinese culture. In those days, China’s Tang dynasty formed the cultural center of Asia.

While the common people could rarely eat tofu, it was an important part of a Zen monk’s diet. Cuisine eaten in Zen temples is called shojin ryori. Because Zen monks don’t eat any animal products, tofu was, and still is, an important source of protein.

This diet is based on the Buddhist philosophy that one must not kill or eat other animals. Therefore shojin cuisine uses no meat or seafood.

Instead the main ingredients are miso (fermented soy bean paste), tofu, yuba (tofu skin), mushrooms and root vegetables such as burdocks and radish.

Ninety percent of the recipes in a shojin ryori book published in the Edo period included tofu (actually, a firmer kind of tofu known as Koya-dofu; basically dehydrated tofu and thus easy to preserve).

A best seller about tofu called “Tofu Hyakuchin” (100 Unique Tofu Recipes), published in 1782, reveals that tofu by that time was boiled, steamed, simmered, grilled, deep-fried, and fried. Most likely people in those times knew more about how to prepare tofu than we do today, as meat and seafood were basically taboo for everyone until the end of the 19th century.

Yuba is one of the foods made from soybeans. As soy milk boils, a film forms on the surface. This film is yuba. You can eat yuba in various forms: fried, boiled, or in soup. The photo shows how a film on the surface of heated soymilk is skimmed off gently. This form of yuba is called nama-yuba, or fresh yuba as it’s not dried, and is enjoyed with soy sauce.

Tofu has only three ingredients: soy beans, water and nigari (bittern/a coagulant). All of these are essential but water is the most important of the three. People even say “Water is vital for tofu.” Indeed, 80-90% of tofu is water. Kyoto’s natural wells are blessed with water that is perfectly suited to tofu and Kyoto tofu is probably the most famous in all of Japan.  The other important ingredient of tofu is nigari or bittern. Nigari is a natural coagulant produced from sea water and is used to coagulate the soy milk to form tofu.

While tofu is well known, bi-products such as yuba (silky sweet soymilk skin) and okara (coarse soy pulp) are less recognized. Yuba is the soft, warm film that covers the surface when thick soymilk is gently heated. It is skimmed off the top in sheets with long sticks and then rolled and dried for use in soups, stocks and other dishes. Dried, yuba turns beige and has a crisp texture until it is reconstituted and becomes soft. It is also sometimes served as nama-yuba, freshly skimmed and served with soy sauce or a dressing.

After the 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 the soymilk is drained. What’s left in the sack is known as 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.