The object of our obsession for the past three years: it’s rich and creamy; its flavor is heady and deep and gets more intense with age; it calls for, nay, demands pairing with wine … but it isn’t cheese.
This isn't cheese ...
Tofu misozuke is a traditional Japanese delicacy from the Fukuoka district, whose production requires an aging period in miso for up to two years. During that time the tofu acquires the texture of soft creamy cheeses and an intensely savoury flavor.
After encountering tofu misozuke in Japan, we searched for it back in the States to no avail; we were later informed tofu misozuke is hard to find even in Japan. We eventually tracked down a single modern recipe for it and a translated 18th century one. After many more months of experimenting, we are incredibly excited have this amazing oenophilic snack to share with you.
So far every person we have shared our tofu misozuke with has been blown away by its taste and unique texture. A vegan friend gushed that it was the closest she would ever get/had ever gotten to enjoying cheese. Our favorite cheesemonger, after sampling tofu misozuke, asked for the rest of the block we had brought over so he could share with his colleagues. Another cheesemonger said it had a wonderful texture like a cross between butter and foie gras. One of our friends even planned her visits to coincide with our schedule for turning and sampling our tofu misozuke blocks. Our reaction to tofu misozuke wasn’t unique: we loved it, our friends loved it, and we think you will to.
Tofu misozuke & company
- Enjoy tofu misozuke as you would any strong cheese:
- Savored by itself.
- Paired with fresh, dried fruits or preserves.
- Paired with wine, sake or sochu.
- On bread or mild crackers.
- Spread on cucumber, topped with spearmint, lemon balm or other fresh herbs.
- With grilled vegetables – it’s great stuffed inside squash blossoms.
- As a marinade.
- As a base for a sauce or stew.
- Tofu (water, soybeans, calcium sulfate, calcium chloride)
- Miso (water, soybeans, rice, salt)
- Sugar
- Sake
100 Tofu Delicacies (Japan, 1782), #84 - Tofu Misozuke
豆腐百珍 / Tofu Hyakuchin / 100 Tofu Delicacies by 何必醇 / Ka Hitsujun, 1782. Many thanks to our friend Chieh-Ting for translating the above into modern Japanese and then to English for us!
The following two papers showed us the biochemical basis for how our star tofu dish was made. They also provided clues while we were troubleshooting the finicky curing process.
An encounter with pungent tofu misozuke
