Yudofu

Name: Yudofu
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Japan
Ingredients: 400 g firm silken tofu; 10 g kombu; 800 ml water; 3 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp yuzu or lemon juice; 1 tbsp mirin; 2 spring onions, sliced; 2 cm daikon, grated

Local name: 湯豆腐

Silken tofu warmed in kombu water and dipped in ponzu sauce, a winter dish from the temples of Kyoto.

Published on 12 June 2026·Updated on 26 September 2026

Vegan#tofu#kombu#ponzu#kyoto#winter

AI-generated image, not a photograph of the dish

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 20 min
Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy

Method

Wipe the kombu with a damp cloth rather than washing it, then soak it for 30 minutes in the cold water, in an earthenware or cast-iron pot.
Mix the soy sauce, yuzu juice and mirin for the ponzu. Divide it between two small bowls.
Cut the tofu into 4 cm cubes and let them drain on a cloth for 5 minutes.
Heat the kombu water gently until small bubbles climb the sides. Lift out the kombu before it boils.
Slide the tofu cubes into the trembling water and let them warm through for 3 minutes. They rise slowly when ready.
Bring the pot to the table so each person fishes out a cube and dips it in ponzu, with spring onion and daikon.

The water must never boil, or the tofu pits and turns spongy. The monks of Nanzenji in Kyoto have served this since the seventeenth century. Tamari labelled wheat free replaces the soy sauce for a gluten-free version.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.

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Nutrition per serving

Calories: 182 kcal
Protein: 18.8 g
Fat: 9.8 g
Carbohydrate: 7.4 g
Fibre: 1.5 g

An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.

Frequently asked questions

Why must the water never boil?

At a boil the tofu develops tiny holes and turns spongy and rubbery. Hold it in barely trembling water, where small bubbles rise at the edges, for three minutes, just long enough to heat through.

Should I wash the kombu?

No. Simply wipe it with a damp cloth: the white powder on its surface is full of flavour and dissolves into the broth. Take the kombu out before the water boils too, since overheating makes it bitter and slippery.

How do I make it gluten-free?

The soy sauce in the ponzu is the one thing to watch; use tamari labelled wheat free instead. Check your mirin as well, since some versions contain wheat-based additives.

Umami without meat in China, Japan and Korea
Fermented pastes, kombu and dried shiitake, tofu and high heat — four sources of flavour that stand in for meat in Chinese, Japanese and Korean cooking.
Japanese vegetarian cooking, beyond sushi
Learn to make dashi without bonito, tell the forms of tofu apart, and build a Japanese vegetarian meal from small plates.
How to cook tofu so it is never bland
Why tofu is not a meat substitute but a carrier of flavour, and traditional Asian techniques to give it real depth and texture.

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