The Fascinating, Tumultuous Historical past of Tofu Outlets within the US

While you consider Nineteen Seventies American “hippie meals,” you probably consider issues like brown rice, whole-wheat bread, natural greens, and, certainly, tofu. Now, greater than 50 years later, that “hippie meals” has gone mainstream, and tofu is extra standard than ever. In reality, the worldwide tofu trade has an estimated price of greater than $1.5 billion, with North American demand undeniably serving to to propel the market. And among the finest locations to purchase tofu? Nicely, it needs to be a tofu store. However the place, precisely, can you discover one? 

There was once a whole lot of tofu outlets throughout the US, and whereas numbers seem to have dwindled lately—there are lots nonetheless in operation. Right here’s what you must learn about tofu outlets and the place to search out them, however first, a historical past lesson.

Tofu’s US historical past 

Lengthy, lengthy earlier than white Western counterculturists began singing its praises, tofu was eaten in abundance throughout Asia. In reality, analysis suggests blocks of curdled soy milk have been probably invented in China greater than 2,000 years in the past, earlier than making their solution to Japan within the Nara Interval, which lasted from 710 to 794 CE.

It was the individuals of Japan who introduced tofu to the US within the early twentieth century. In response to the Soyinfo Heart, which claims to be the “world’s most full assortment of soy info,” almost the entire earliest recognized tofu and soyfood firms within the US have been began by individuals of Japanese ancestry. That mentioned, it does additionally acknowledge the “immense contribution” of individuals of Chinese language ancestry, too.

By 1905, there have been six Japanese tofu outlets within the US, the Soyinfo Heart notes. By 1930, this determine had rocketed to 293. And by 1940, the US was dwelling to greater than 390 Japanese tofu outlets. However issues began to decelerate significantly after this. 

After the Japanese Navy dropped a bomb on Hawaii’s Pearl Harbour in 1941, life for Japanese immigrants and Japanese Individuals within the US grew to become difficult and tough. And from 1942 to 1946, greater than 125,200 individuals of Japanese ancestry have been forcibly relocated and incarcerated. 

“All Japanese-owned firms making soyfoods within the Western USA [ceased] operations, and most [were] not there when their house owners [returned] dwelling after World Struggle II,” the Soyinfo Heart explains. “The house owners [had to] begin throughout to rebuild their companies.” A kind of companies was Ota Tofu, a tofu store in Portland, OR which continues to be open immediately.

What’s a tofu store?

Based in 1911, Ota Tofu is the oldest-running tofu store within the US. Like all tofu outlets, it specializes within the manufacture and sale of tofu merchandise, together with recent handmade tofu and age-fried tofu, which is deep fried in rice bran oil, in addition to recent soymilk.

Ota Tofu was first opened by two brothers, Heiji and Seizo Ohta, earlier than possession was transferred to Saizo and Shina Ohta, in 1918. The 2 ran the store collectively efficiently till the Japanese internment camps when Saizo died at a relocation heart. After Shina returned to Portland, she discovered that the owner had saved the house and gear, so Ota Tofu reopened as soon as once more. 

Right now, the Portland store—which is now owned by former soccer participant Jason Ogata and his mom, Sharon Hirata—operates in a really related solution to the way it at all times has. Every block of tofu is made by hand in an extended and labor-intensive course of, which entails soaking vats of soybeans in a single day, earlier than rinsing, grinding, pressure-cooking, and straining them.

And Ota Tofu isn’t alone. There are nonetheless tofu outlets in operation throughout the US, some are run by Japanese Individuals, whereas others are owned by individuals of Vietnamese, Chinese language, and Taiwanese ancestry. Relying on the place you reside, you is perhaps fortunate sufficient to have one situated close to you.

We’ve made a brief record of tofu outlets within the US beneath, however it’s removed from complete. To search out small native companies in your space, we additionally suggest doing your personal analysis. The brisker the tofu the higher, we are saying. 

Tofu outlets throughout the US

Ota Tofu

1 Ota Tofu

Portland, OR

As highlighted above, Ota Tofu is now run by mother-and-son duo, Ogata and Hirata, who took over the store in 2019 from Eileen and Koichi Ota, the grandson of Saizo and Shina. “One in all [Ota Tofu’s wholesale customers] mentioned it was nearly as good or higher than the tofu made in Japan, and that offered me proper there. I knew this enterprise couldn’t shut down. It needed to maintain going,” Ogato, talking of his resolution to take over the store, instructed Right here Is Oregon
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VegNews.vegantofushop.sogutofuSogo Tofu

2 Sogo Tofu

San Jose, CA

As aforementioned, not the entire tofu outlets and cafés within the US are run by individuals of Japanese ancestry. Sogo Tofu, for instance, was opened by Taiwanese immigrant Lihua Ho in 2003. “There weren’t any vegetarian outlets in [the San Jose] space on the time, so I’m glad to say that our store grew to become a success,” Ho instructed the Very Veggie Motion in 2021. And it’s nonetheless going sturdy with its specialty tofu, soymilk, and different genuine Taiwanese soy merchandise, all of that are made in-house.
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VegNews.vegantofushopThanh Son Tofu

3 Thanh Son Tofu

Falls Church, VA

Within the metropolis of Falls Church, VA, one other tofu store opened in 2003, referred to as Thanh Son Tofu. The store, which makes a speciality of Vietnamese-style tofu, continues to be open on daily basis for “tofu lovers in the neighborhood,” and its menu consists of all kinds of choices, together with lemongrass chili pepper fried tofu, onion mushroom fried tofu, and ginger tofu pudding.
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VegNews.vegantofushop.fongonFong On

4 Fong On

New York Metropolis, NY

Initially referred to as Fong Inn Too, New York Metropolis’s Fong On in Chinatown has had a tumultuous journey over the previous few years. The tofu store first opened within the Nineteen Thirties, closed down in 2017, and engaged in a authorized battle with a “copycat enterprise” in 2018, earlier than lastly reopening in a brand new spot in 2019. Like earlier than, it makes a speciality of Toisanese recipes, together with tofu pudding with ginger syrup.
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VegNews.vegantofushop.chungsengChung Seng

5Chung Seng

Covina, CA

Covina’s Chung Seng is a small, native enterprise with “no indicators, no advertisements, [and] no fancy storefront,” in keeping with one Yelp reviewer, but it surely’s nonetheless nicely price your consideration, due to the “nice tofu merchandise.” Anticipate finding every part quite a lot of Chinese language fried and recent tofu choices, in addition to steamed buns and chilly noodles.
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VegNews.vegantofushop.chungsengTofu Yu

6 Tofu Yu

Richmond, CA

In response to Richmond’s Tofu Yu, it makes a speciality of “tofusion,” which is the combination of Jap and Western “style sensations.” You will discover its modern gourmand recent tofu in retailers, eating places, farmers’ markets, and delicatessens throughout the San Francisco Bay Space.
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VegNews.alohatofuAloha Tofu

7 Aloha Tofu

Honolulu, HI

Aloha Tofu Manufacturing facility was first opened again in 1950 by two Japanese immigrants, Kamesaburo and Tsuruko Uyehara. To at the present time, the Uyehara household continues to be working the manufacturing unit, which relies on Akepo Lane in Honolulu. In addition to agency and mushy tofu, the tofu store makes a speciality of deep-fried tofu and numerous different soy merchandise, together with okara (soybean meal), natto (fermented soybean paste), and soy milk.
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