Kōri-dōfu (frozen and dried tofu)
Japanese tofu frozen, aged below freezing, thawed and dried to a light sponge that is simmered in dashi; Iwadeyama makes it in winter air.
Koya-dofu (freeze-dried tofu)
高野豆腐 · kōya-dōfu · koya-dofu · shimi-dōfu · shimi-dofu
Tofu frozen, thawed, pressed and dried into a porous, durable soybean food; Japanese sources trace the tradition to the late Kamakura period.
Tofu made porous by frost
Koya-dofu is tofu that has been frozen, thawed, pressed and dried. The freezing forms ice crystals in the curd, and when the tofu thaws the water drains away and leaves a sponge-like structure behind. Drying then fixes that structure.
The result is a light, porous and durable soybean food. Its texture differs from fresh tofu, and it keeps far longer than the soft curd it came from.
Sources for this section
Names and a documented start
The product appears under the names kōya-dōfu and shimi-dōfu in the catalogue. Japanese government guidance on the food traces the tradition to the late Kamakura period, which places it in the medieval centuries.
The date is a documented attestation rather than a proof of invention. Freezing tofu in cold weather was a practical technique, and the sources do not name a single first maker.
Sources for this section
Dehydration without vacuum
Koya-dofu is a freeze-assisted dehydration. Cold does the first part of the work and drying the rest, with no vacuum chamber involved. The catalogue distinguishes it from modern freeze-drying for that reason.
The method shows how a preindustrial cold season could turn a perishable soy curd into a store that lasts.
Sources for this section
What the record does not settle
The catalogue gives no freezing temperatures, thawing times or drying conditions. Home attempts would need those figures from a source that gives them; none is given here.
Sources for this section
History
Freeze-thaw drying of tofu is a preindustrial, freeze-assisted dehydration method. It produces a porous, durable soybean food and is distinct from modern vacuum lyophilisation.
Ingredients
Scaling: source batch only
TofuFirm tofu, cut into blocks.
Amount not stated
Method
- Freeze the tofu.
- Thaw it and press out the water it released.
- Dry the porous tofu until it is firm.
Places
Japan
Documented preparation · Country evidenceCountry-level attestation; the MAFF source traces the tradition to the late Kamakura period.
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Sources
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, JapanHistory · Method
Japanese government page on kōya-dōfu (MAFF)Tradition traced to the late Kamakura period
Freezing, thawing, water removal and drying produce a porous, durable tofu
Cited in: Tofu made porous by frost; Names and a documented start; Dehydration without vacuum; What the record does not settle