Inside a Tofu Factory

Published on Thursday, January 20, 2011, by Meredith Arthur, Blake Smith and Mathew Szymanowski / Edit Post

CHOW takes a trip into the heady world of artisanal tofu. Minh Tsai and Dean Ku, cofounders of Hodo Soy Beanery in Oakland, California, lead the way, showing us how tofu, yuba, and nama (or sweet) yuba are made. See our tofu recipes.

For the CHOW Field Trip, we take the show on the road. From country farms to city restaurants, we visit the places your food comes from. The fresh air is good for you.

ALLField Trip
POST A COMMENT |13 Comments

COMMENT

  • I've never seen Hodo brand tofu at any asian market I've visited. Will have to go to Whole Food and get some to compare with the fresh tofu I buy.

    Here's a chow tip. When you buy tofu at the asian market, go for the unpackaged tofu or those simply wrapped in saran wrap. Those are fresh and they will not keep for very long. Cook and eat when you get it home immediately. Stay away from tofu that...+READ

    I've never seen Hodo brand tofu at any asian market I've visited. Will have to go to Whole Food and get some to compare with the fresh tofu I buy.

    Here's a chow tip. When you buy tofu at the asian market, go for the unpackaged tofu or those simply wrapped in saran wrap. Those are fresh and they will not keep for very long. Cook and eat when you get it home immediately. Stay away from tofu that are vacuumed-sealed in plastic.-COLLAPSE

  • I worked in a tofu factory (Sooke Soy Foods) in British Columbia for two years back in the 1980s. It was a very interesting experience, and also very hard work. So I can appreciate all the effort that goes into producing it. There is a fine art to getting the tofu to curd properly and things like air temperature and humidity can sometimes affect the final outcome. In an industrial shop every step...+READ

    I worked in a tofu factory (Sooke Soy Foods) in British Columbia for two years back in the 1980s. It was a very interesting experience, and also very hard work. So I can appreciate all the effort that goes into producing it. There is a fine art to getting the tofu to curd properly and things like air temperature and humidity can sometimes affect the final outcome. In an industrial shop every step along the process from cooking the beans, mashing them, pumping the pulp through a pipe into containers, adding the coagulant, and setting the mold has to be performed exactly, or you can lose a whole batch, which gets expensive in terms of both time and money.

    This video took me back to those days. Our shop wasn't quite as high tech or as large scale as the Hodo factory seems like in the video. We didn't keep the yuba, unless one of the workers wanted to take some home for perosnal use. We did keep the okara though, as we supplied a local organic farmer with it, just like the video mentions. Our shop made other products from the beans as well, such as tempeh, soymilk and tofu burgers (my job).

    I would advise anyone who eats tofu to ask to take a tour of their local tofu shop. (we used to host tours several times a year). If you are a real keener, you can even ask if you could volunteer for a day. It's a great experience, and you'll get a better appreciation for the hard work and care that goes into making tofu on a commercial scale.-COLLAPSE

  • ummm... @woodtrevor21... I am not about all the hypes that goes into fermentation and what not, but as an Asian who had ate soy product all my life, I made homemade soy milk without fermentation whatsoever and it is the most healthy thing you can do. Maybe it's only apply to how these big company treat the soy bean product today that you must concern of... using chemical to produce the product...+READ

    ummm... @woodtrevor21... I am not about all the hypes that goes into fermentation and what not, but as an Asian who had ate soy product all my life, I made homemade soy milk without fermentation whatsoever and it is the most healthy thing you can do. Maybe it's only apply to how these big company treat the soy bean product today that you must concern of... using chemical to produce the product that is where all the problem stem from.-COLLAPSE

  • Up til two years ago, I only ate tofu in soup in a resturant. But now i eat it for breakfast stir fried with veggies. I love it. I am glad i found this site and was able to see the video on how it is made and get some more ideas for cooking with it. I don't eat dairy so I am going to try the yuba and make the lasagna and experiment with some other recipes.

  • Sure, the video is neat (interesting to see how tofu is created), but I agree with "The Professor". Unfermented soy is really not a beneficial product to consume as it has very negative aspects about it that far outweigh the proposed "benefits" people make…as this includes tofu.
    Tofu is a mystery, no doubt. Just try to make sure that other sources are perused before committing to this 'food'...+READ

    Sure, the video is neat (interesting to see how tofu is created), but I agree with "The Professor". Unfermented soy is really not a beneficial product to consume as it has very negative aspects about it that far outweigh the proposed "benefits" people make…as this includes tofu.
    Tofu is a mystery, no doubt. Just try to make sure that other sources are perused before committing to this 'food' product. Here is a good start: http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert/689-ploy-of-soy.html-COLLAPSE

  • Thanks for this fab video - I have eaten more tofu in the past year than in my entire life prior, since moving to China. And like the guy says, it's a mystery. I was stunned when faced with the tofu selection at my local supermarket here in Shanghai for the first time - I stopped counting after 56 different kinds of tofu products. Amazing.

  • good video! i hope many people would be inspired to eat fresh tofu.
    there is one thing that i wish they added.
    okara is also edible. you can cook okara with leftover dashi of sukiyaki or nikujaga.
    it is good. you can also make okara cookies.

  • Interesting stuff. Although, I'm eating considerably less tofu these days and have totally sworn off soymilk, due to findings about the suspected un healthfulness of unfermented soy products...I've read enough data to cause some concern.
    No problem with tempeh and natto, though...the fermentation process evidently cleanses out the things that cause concern.
    Dr. Joseph Mercola has written some...+READ

    Interesting stuff. Although, I'm eating considerably less tofu these days and have totally sworn off soymilk, due to findings about the suspected un healthfulness of unfermented soy products...I've read enough data to cause some concern.
    No problem with tempeh and natto, though...the fermentation process evidently cleanses out the things that cause concern.
    Dr. Joseph Mercola has written some interesting observations on the topic.-COLLAPSE

  • Awesome video! Who knew you could substitute tofu for ricotta and end up making a beautiful dish like the mushroom and spinach lasagna. Mouthwatering! :P"

  • Nama yuba means "raw" or "fresh" yuba. It does not mean, by any translation, "sweet." Fantastic find, though! I really want to try tofu from this place!

  • Love this! I have a soymilk maker and have been contemplating making my own tofu for some time... this is great!

  • this man i just too popular. There was also a piece on him @ huffington post

  • pretty cool-wish there was more on how tofu is actually made & yuba pulled off...wished i lived closer to taste his tofu