Hiyayakko (Japanese Cold Tofu)

Name: Hiyayakko (Japanese Cold Tofu)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 14 oz soft/silken tofu (kinugoshi dofu) ((1 pack, chilled)); 1 g reen onion/scallion; ½ tsp ginger ((grated; from a 1-inch, 2.5-cm knob)); 4 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) ((optional; for decoration)); 2 Tbsp katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) ((skip for vegan/vegetarian)); soy sauce

Hiyayakko or Japanese Cold Tofu is a perfect appetizer or side dish that you can whip up instantly! You‘ll love how smooth and silky it tastes. For many fun variations, feel free to switch up the toppings. Serve the tofu on a hot summer day and enjoy it with a cold beer. {Vegan/Vegetarian Adaptable}

⏱ 10 min 🔨 Prep 10min 📊 Easy 🍽 4 servings ⭐ 4.8 (46) 👁 9

Ingredients

4 servings

14 oz soft/silken tofu (kinugoshi dofu) ((1 pack, chilled))
1 g reen onion/scallion
½ tsp ginger ((grated; from a 1-inch, 2.5-cm knob))
4 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) ((optional; for decoration))
2 Tbsp katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) ((skip for vegan/vegetarian))
soy sauce

Instructions

Gather all the ingredients.
Drain 14 oz soft/silken tofu (kinugoshi dofu) for 10 minutes by wrapping a paper towel around it. You do not need to press the tofu in this recipe as you want to retain some moisture in the tofu. Be gentle when handling since silken (soft) tofu is very fragile.
Meanwhile, prepare the toppings. First, thinly slice 1 green onion/scallion.
Peel the ginger skin, grate the ginger (I use a ceramic grater), and measure ½ tsp ginger (with the juice).
Once the excess liquid is drained, cut the tofu into 4 pieces.
Put a shiso leaf on each serving dish and gently place one piece of tofu on top of each leaf. Top the tofu with green onions and grated ginger. Chill the tofu until right before serving.
Before you bring it to the table, quickly check the dish. If you see that the tofu has released more liquid, gently tilt the plate and discard the water. Divide 2 Tbsp katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) among the cut tofu pieces. At the table, drizzle with soy sauce or another sauce of your choice right before you enjoy.
You can also make your own variations with your favorite toppings. Popular toppings include cherry tomatoes, shirasu (baby anchovies), julienned shiso leaves, sweet corn, sliced cucumbers, wakame seaweed, and crab meat. It‘s also delicious topped with All-Purpose Miso Sauce or Crunchy Garlic Chili Oil (Taberu Rayu). Read more ideas in the blog post above.
You can keep the leftover tofu in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for a day.