Whenever you consider Nineteen Seventies American “hippie meals,” you probably consider issues like brown rice, whole-wheat bread, natural greens, and, for sure, tofu. Now, greater than 50 years later, that “hippie meals” has gone mainstream, and tofu is extra in style than ever. Actually, the worldwide tofu business has an estimated value of greater than $1.5 billion, with North American demand undeniably serving to to propel the market. And probably the greatest locations to purchase tofu? Properly, it needs to be a tofu store. However the place, precisely, can you discover one?
There was a whole lot of tofu retailers throughout the US, and whereas numbers seem to have dwindled lately—there are loads nonetheless in operation. Right here’s what it’s worthwhile to learn about tofu retailers and the place to seek out them, however first, a historical past lesson.
Tofu’s US historical past
Lengthy, lengthy earlier than white Western counterculturists began singing its praises, tofu was eaten in abundance throughout Asia. Actually, analysis suggests blocks of curdled soy milk have been probably invented in China greater than 2,000 years in the past, earlier than making their approach to Japan within the Nara Interval, which lasted from 710 to 794 CE.
It was the individuals of Japan who introduced tofu to the US within the early twentieth century. In keeping with the Soyinfo Middle, which claims to be the “world’s most full assortment of soy info,” almost all the earliest identified tofu and soyfood corporations within the US have been began by individuals of Japanese ancestry. That stated, it does additionally acknowledge the “immense contribution” of individuals of Chinese language ancestry, too.
By 1905, there have been six Japanese tofu retailers within the US, the Soyinfo Middle notes. By 1930, this determine had rocketed to 293. And by 1940, the US was dwelling to greater than 390 Japanese tofu retailers. However issues began to decelerate significantly after this.
After the Japanese Navy dropped a bomb on Hawaii’s Pearl Harbour in 1941, life for Japanese immigrants and Japanese Individuals within the US turned sophisticated and tough. And from 1942 to 1946, greater than 125,200 individuals of Japanese ancestry have been forcibly relocated and incarcerated.
“All Japanese-owned corporations making soyfoods within the Western USA [ceased] operations, and most [were] not there when their house owners [returned] dwelling after World Conflict II,” the Soyinfo Middle explains. “The house owners [had to] begin throughout to rebuild their companies.” A type of companies was Ota Tofu, a tofu store in Portland, OR which continues to be open at this time.
What’s a tofu store?
Based in 1911, Ota Tofu is the oldest-running tofu store within the US. Like all tofu retailers, it specializes within the manufacture and sale of tofu merchandise, together with contemporary handmade tofu and age-fried tofu, which is deep fried in rice bran oil, in addition to contemporary soymilk.
Ota Tofu was first opened by two brothers, Heiji and Seizo Ohta, earlier than possession was transferred to Saizo and Shina Ohta, in 1918. The 2 ran the store collectively efficiently till the Japanese internment camps when Saizo died at a relocation heart. After Shina returned to Portland, she discovered that the owner had saved the area and tools, so Ota Tofu reopened as soon as once more.
Right now, the Portland store—which is now owned by former soccer participant Jason Ogata and his mom, Sharon Hirata—operates in a really related approach to the way it all the time has. Every block of tofu is made by hand in a protracted and labor-intensive course of, which includes soaking vats of soybeans in a single day, earlier than rinsing, grinding, pressure-cooking, and straining them.
And Ota Tofu isn’t alone. There are nonetheless tofu retailers in operation throughout the US, some are run by Japanese Individuals, whereas others are owned by individuals of Vietnamese, Chinese language, and Taiwanese ancestry. Relying on the place you reside, you could be fortunate sufficient to have one positioned close to you.
We’ve made a brief checklist of tofu retailers within the US beneath, however it’s removed from complete. To seek out small native companies in your space, we additionally advocate doing your personal analysis. The more energizing the tofu the higher, we are saying.
Tofu retailers throughout the US
Ota Tofu
1 Ota Tofu
Portland, OR
As highlighted above, Ota Tofu is now run by mother-and-son duo, Ogata and Hirata, who took over the store in 2019 from Eileen and Koichi Ota, the grandson of Saizo and Shina. “One in every of [Ota Tofu’s wholesale customers] stated it was pretty much as good or higher than the tofu made in Japan, and that offered me proper there. I knew this enterprise couldn’t shut down. It needed to hold going,” Ogato, talking of his choice to take over the store, instructed Right here Is Oregon.
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Sogo Tofu
2 Sogo Tofu
San Jose, CA
As aforementioned, not all the tofu retailers and cafés within the US are run by individuals of Japanese ancestry. Sogo Tofu, for instance, was opened by Taiwanese immigrant Lihua Ho in 2003. “There weren’t any vegetarian retailers in [the San Jose] space on the time, so I’m glad to say that our store turned successful,” Ho instructed the Very Veggie Motion in 2021. And it’s nonetheless going robust with its specialty tofu, soymilk, and different genuine Taiwanese soy merchandise, all of that are made in-house.
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Thanh Son Tofu
3 Thanh Son Tofu
Falls Church, VA
Within the metropolis of Falls Church, VA, one other tofu store opened in 2003, referred to as Thanh Son Tofu. The store, which makes a speciality of Vietnamese-style tofu, continues to be open daily for “tofu lovers locally,” and its menu contains all kinds of choices, together with lemongrass chili pepper fried tofu, onion mushroom fried tofu, and ginger tofu pudding.
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Fong On
4 Fong On
New York Metropolis, NY
Initially referred to as Fong Inn Too, New York Metropolis’s Fong On in Chinatown has had a tumultuous experience over the previous few years. The tofu store first opened within the Nineteen Thirties, closed down in 2017, and engaged in a authorized battle with a “copycat enterprise” in 2018, earlier than lastly reopening in a brand new spot in 2019. Like earlier than, it makes a speciality of Toisanese recipes, together with tofu pudding with ginger syrup.
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Chung Seng
5Chung Seng
Covina, CA
Covina’s Chung Seng is a small, native enterprise with “no indicators, no adverts, [and] no fancy storefront,” in accordance with one Yelp reviewer, however it’s nonetheless properly value your consideration, due to the “nice tofu merchandise.” Anticipate finding every thing a wide range of Chinese language fried and contemporary tofu choices, in addition to steamed buns and chilly noodles.
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Aloha Tofu
6 Aloha Tofu
Honolulu, HI
Aloha Tofu Manufacturing facility was first opened again in 1950 by two Japanese immigrants, Kamesaburo and Tsuruko Uyehara. To at the present time, the Uyehara household continues to be working the manufacturing facility, which is predicated on Akepo Lane in Honolulu. In addition to agency and gentle tofu, the tofu store makes a speciality of deep-fried tofu and numerous different soy merchandise, together with okara (soybean meal), natto (fermented soybean paste), and soy milk.
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Charlotte is a author and editor primarily based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
