Koya-dofu

There are two traditional centers of origination of freeze-dried tofu in Japan, including Mount Koya and Nagano.

After it was frozen, it was allowed to stand on shelves in a shed for fifteen days at temperatures below freezing, thawed in warm water and pressed lightly to expel the melted ice, then dried in the shed using heat from charcoal braziers.

It was made by the famous feudal lord and warrior, Takeda Shingen, who developed a new drying process.

After thawing the frozen portions in the day then freezing at night multiple times, the tofu became a hard sponge.

In 1904, a mention appeared in the article "The Use of Frost in Making Japanese Foods," by Loew.

[7] As of 1980, 90% of the production of dried-frozen tofu in Japan was handled by a handful of companies in the Nagano area.

The way it is produced lets soy protein mature naturally, which helps in the development of new textures, preserving maximum nutritious value.

Consumption of this type of tofu lowers the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.