Protected local food
Iwadeyama Kori-dofu
岩出山凍り豆腐
Freeze-dried tofu made in the cold, dry winters of Iwadeyama in Osaki, Miyagi. It is white and fine-textured, and it soaks up broth while keeping its shape.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 6 August 2018
- Region
- Tohoku
- Official name in Japanese
- 岩出山凍り豆腐
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 宮城県大崎市岩出山（平成18年3月30日現在における行政区画名としての宮城県玉造郡岩出山町）
Tofu dried by winter
Kori-dofu is tofu that has been frozen and dried until it is light and spongy. You soak it, then simmer it, and it drinks up whatever broth it sits in. Iwadeyama, now part of Osaki city in Miyagi, has made it since at least the Meiji era.
Cold, dry and calm
Iwadeyama sits on the east side of the Ou Mountains. Winters are dry and bitterly cold, yet the town gets less snow and gentler wind than its neighbours. That suits kori-dofu, which is spoiled by damp and strong wind. At its peak in 1960, 86 households made it. Today five producers turn out roughly 100,000 bags of 20 pieces a year.
What makes it good
The blocks are white with an even texture. They have a firm, springy bite and a smooth feel, little off-taste and a clear soybean flavour. When simmered they hold their shape and soak up dashi, which is why local home cooking relies on them.
Good to know
- To cook it, soak the blocks in warm water, squeeze them gently, then simmer them in dashi with soy sauce and a little sugar.
- It keeps for months unopened, so it is an easy food souvenir to carry home.
Questions travellers ask
Is it vegan?
The tofu itself is made from soybeans. Check the dish, though, because Japanese simmered dishes usually use dashi made from fish.
Where is it made?
In Iwadeyama, part of Osaki city in Miyagi Prefecture, northwest of Sendai.
Where it comes from
More protected foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.