Tofu originated in China and later became an integral part of Buddhist temple cuisine. Traditionally in Japan, tofu-makers would wheel their freshly made tofu in pushcarts around the neighbourhood at dawn to supply tofu for the households’ morning miso soup.
Tofu is made from ground soybeans that have been cooked, strained, and then coagulated with nigari, a concentrated salt extracted from seawater. Tofu has a cooling energy, and it is recommended to eat it cooked. It is balanced with a salty rather than a sweet taste, and so is avoided in sweet desserts.
The sliced tofu is arranged in two rows on a baking tray
The miso mixture is spooned over the tofu slices
The scallions are sliced and the roasted sesame seeds are chopped
The scallions and sesame seeds are sprinkled over the baked tofu slices and the tray is placed in the oven
Baked tofu with miso sauce