Kumiage-yuba / fresh tofu skin

Kumiage-yuba is a type of fresh yuba tofu skin (beancurd sheets). It has a very silky, creamｙ texture that melts in your mouth. Making it requires only fresh additive-free tonyu soy milk and some water ... and lots of time.

In my case, 500 cc (about a pint) of soy milk yields only sixteen 20 cm/8" round sheets over 2+ hours. Each sheet takes several minutes to harvest, so think of it this way -- you have lots of time to take care of simple tasks in the kitchen, or even get some exercise in front of the stove! You won't regret the time you spend once you discover how delicate and tasty these simple creations can be.


<Ingredients>

(Yields 16 sheets 20 cm/8" round, or approx. 130 g yuba)
500 cc additive-free tonyu soy milk
200+ cc water

<Directions>
1.

In a frying pan, pour tonyu to 1cm high (and some water if your tonyu is very thick), and heat on medium heat.
When sufficiently warm, lower heat to low, and continue cooking.

2.

Meanwhile, put some tonyu and water in the container where finished yuba will be placed.
Keep chopsticks that will be used to pick up yuba in water.

3.

When a film starts to form on tonyu surface, fan to help formation of the film.

4.

When ready, insert a chopstick from the edge of frying pan, and scoop up yuba. 

Transfer to container, and release.

(When releasing yuba into tonyu, gently push with the other chopstick.)

5.

Pour tonyu and water from time to time to maintain depth of tonyu in frying pan.

(This is nearly the end stage. From this amount of tonyu, the last half-size yuba sheet can be made.)

(Enjoy the remaining tonyu in the frying pan -- it is super rich, like cream or caramel.)

<Notes>

• Probably the most common way to eat fresh yuba is to dip it in dashi-diluted soy sauce and wasabi -- hot as is in cold seasons (see tonyu nabe hot pot recipe) and after chilling when the temperature rises in summer.
• Keeps 3 days in the fridge.
• Smooth-surfaced chopsticks or skewers are recommended. Soaking them in water also helps to keep surfaces smooth, which makes it much easier to release yuba into tonyu in the container.
• Kumiage-yuba literally means scooped or drawn up yuba. It is also sometimes called tsumami-yuba [picked yuba].
• Kumiage-yuba is usually thinner than the other type of fresh yuba, hikiage-yuba [lit. pull-up yuba]. Hikiage-yuba is made in rectangular tubs, and each sheet is scooped up with a long stick, hung above the tub to drip excess soy milk, then cut, folded or rolled.

Recipes with kumiage-yuba

• Mitsuba to kumiage-yuba no wasabijoyu-ae / mitsuba and fresh tofu skin dressed with wasabi soy sauce
• Sukuidofu to kumiage-yuba no miso guratan / extra soft tofu and fresh tofu skin gratin with red miso
• Kumiage-yuba to kani no ankakedon / fresh tofu skin and crab sauce over steamed rice

(Last updated: April 16, 2016)