# Tofu misozuke ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Tofu misozuke

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
The Yatsushiro and Kuma areas

## Main Ingredients Used
Firm tofu and miso

## History, Origin, and Related Events
It is said that about 800 years ago, a fallen Heike warrior who lost the battle with the Minamoto clan hid at the foot of the Higo Mountains and created and passed down this "tofu misozuke". Homemade tofu and barley miso are made using soybeans and barley grown in slash-and-burn fields in the "mountainous Gokansho (Izumi, Yatsushiro City)" area and Itsuki Village. The tofu, which has been soaked in miso for about six months, has a cheesy flavor and can be used as a side dish with rice or as an appetizer with alcohol, making it a valuable preserved food in areas with poor logistics. "Kazura tofu", which is made in the Ayugaeri district of Sakamoto-cho, Yatsushiro City, is made by putting weights on the tofu and thoroughly draining the moisture during the hardening process. It got its name because it is so hard that it can also be carried around by tying it with "tsutakazura (a generic term for vine grass)". Also, in Itsuki Village, there is a type of tofu called “kashinoki tofu,” which has a hard texture and is also made with plenty of soybeans. This kind of hard tofu is suitable for misozuke, so the tofu is squeezed well so that it can be stored for a long time at room temperature and then dried over low heat before being pickled in miso with a high salt content.Currently, it is produced in various parts of the prefecture and sold as a specialty product. Variations made using "moromi" such as “yamauni tofu” and “hiden tomei” are well known, and those with low salt content, smooth texture, and mellow taste became mainstream. There are also many variations, such as adding "yuzu pepper" or red chili pepper, and it goes well with various alcoholic beverages, including shochu, sake, and wine. Horses naturally have a higher body temperature than cows and pigs, making it difficult for bacteria that can cause food poisoning to grow, which is also why horse meat can be eaten raw. In addition, the meat is now disassembled at a meat processing plant under strict sanitary control and frozen before distribution in all cases. In this manner, all possible precautions against parasites are taken.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is eaten as an everyday dish and is sold commercially as souvenirs and for home use. When making it at home, it is often made by draining regular firm tofu and pickling it for a duration that suits one’s preference before consumption.

## How to Eat
If you pickle it in miso for pickling at home, the flavor will get stronger as the days go by, so periodically check how pickled it is and remove it when it is to your liking. Slice it thinly and eat it as is with rice or as a snack with alcohol. It is also delicious with wasabi or soy sauce if you like. You can also enjoy variations of it as an ingredient by cutting it into small pieces and mixing it into rice balls or adding it to salads. In addition, tofu pickled in "moromi" is sticky and soft, and as well as being used as an accompaniment to rice, new dishes are being invented such as spreading it on bread or tossing it with spaghetti.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)"Tofu misozuke (or moromizuke)" is sold at roadside stations, local product stores, and online stores. Those made with "kazura tofu" are made by lifestyle research groups and local tofu shops in the Ayugaeri area of Sakamoto-cho, where it originated, although fewer people are making "kazura tofu".

## Ingredients
- [Kazura tofu] Soybeans: 8kg
- [Kazura tofu] Water for dilution: 108L
- [Kazura tofu] Foaming agent: 55g
- [Kazura tofu] Bittern: 240g (dissolved in 3L of water)
- [Kazura tofu misozuke] kazura tofu: 1 (600g)
- [Kazura tofu misozuke] Sugar: 240g
- [Kazura tofu misozuke] Miso: 750g
- [Kazura tofu misozuke] Gauze: as appropriate

## Recipe
1. 1. [Kazura tofu: Step 1]Soak the soybeans in three times as much water. (10 to 14 hours in summer, 20 to 24 hours in winter) Drain the water and grind the soybeans in a bean grinder while adding water until the volume is 10 times that of the soybeans.
2. 2. [Kazura tofu: Step 2]Transfer 1 to a large pot, heat, add the foaming agent, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.
3. 3. [Kazura tofu: Step 3]Put two strainer bags on top of each other in a pail and strain the soybeans to make soy milk.
4. 4. [Kazura tofu: Step 4]Add the bittern in two portions to 3. Mix in a large circular motion with a rice paddle, cover, and wait for 5 minutes.
5. 5. [Kazura tofu: Step 5]Spread out a cloth in a box, put 4 in it, put a weight on top of it, and let it drain for about 20 minutes. Once drained, remove from the box and cut into pieces.
6. 6. [Kazura tofu misozuke: Step 1]Cut one block of kazura tofu (600g) into four pieces. (150g each) Sprinkle sugar all over and wrap with gauze.
7. 7. [Kazura tofu misozuke: Step 2]Fill a container with homemade miso, add the “Kazura tofu misozuke: Step 1” so that it is entirely covered in the miso, and pickle in the refrigerator for about 40 days.
8. 8. [Kazura tofu misozuke: Step 3]Take out the miso-pickled tofu from “Kazura tofu misozuke: Step 2,” carefully remove the gauze so as not to break the tofu misozuke, and then cut it into thin pieces and eat without washing. The aroma of creamy Japanese-style cheese will fill your mouth.

## Provider Information
provider : “Kumamoto Hometown Food Masters” (Kumamoto Prefecture Local Production for Local Consumption Site)

![Image](Not found)