Cold tofu – hiyayakko

This is one of the most simple traditional dish in Japanese cuisine. It is called "hiyayakko" in Japanese, meaning "cold tofu". It is so pleasant to enjoy this dish on a hot summer day. However, I heard that yiyayakko was first discovered when a block of silken tofu was left outside in the cold weather. Though the tofu turned very cold but it still offers a fresh taste.

I first knew about this way of serving tofu when I worked in a traditional Japanese restaurant in Vietnam. Cold tofu was so a popular dish that it was often ordered by more than half of the customers. The tofu looks simple but very elegant on the serving dish. In Japan, cold tofu is a popular dish in the meal of ordinary people.

On the dish, the tofu looks pure and fresh. Silken tofu is often used due to its smooth texture and soft structure. The cotton tofu is sometimes used, but with less popularity. There are different ways to make a block of tofu cold. Traditionally, Japanese people prefer to let it cold naturally in cold water. Nowadays, it is easy to get a box of silken tofu in almost every Asian supermarket where the tofu boxes are displayed in chilled section. If you got the tofu from the supermarket, just open it, take the tofu out of the box, pour boiling water over the tofu to remove any impurities, then put the tofu back into the fridge until serving time.

Cold tofu is completed with some toppings. There are two things that must always be present there, traditionally, which are chopped spring onion and katsuobushi (or bonito – a kind of dried, fermented and smoked tuna). Other things may be topped on the tofu are mustard, plum paste, grated ginger, sliced okra, yuzu rind and perilla leaf. Serve with Japanese soysauce (Kikkoman is a recommended brand).