なじみ豆腐
Najimi dōfu
Familiar Tofu
English Interpretation
Warm tofu very gently over charcoal, then simmer in dashi, soy sauce, and sake. In time the tofu absorbs the broth and becomes familiar with the dashi.
原文 · Original (1782)
豆腐を炭火にてはなはだ優しく温め、出汁、醤油、酒をもて煮含めるべし。やがて豆腐、汁を吸ひて、すなはち出汁に馴れぬるなり。
Transliteration
Tōfu wo sumi-bi nite hanahada yasashiku atataméte, dashi, shōyu, sake wo mote ni-fukume ru beshi. Yagatte tōfu, jiru wo sui te, sunawachi dashi ni narezenu nari.
Notes & Annotations
Najimi (馴染み) means 'to become familiar' or 'to blend into.' The name poetically describes how the tofu assimilates the surrounding flavors.
English Recipe
Ingredients
-
silken tofu 豆腐 1 block (350 g)一丁 Whole or large pieces
-
dashi stock 出汁 300 ml
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soy sauce 醤油 1 tablespoon
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sake 酒 1 tablespoon
Method
Serves 2–3
1. Prepare a light broth: 300 ml dashi, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sake.
2. Gently heat the broth to barely a simmer.
3. Add silken tofu — whole or in large pieces. The heat must be very gentle; the goal is warming, not cooking aggressively.
4. Maintain a bare simmer for 10–15 minutes. The tofu will gradually absorb the broth flavours.
5. Serve in bowls with a little of the broth. The tofu should be delicate and filled with flavour.
The longer, gentler simmering allows deep seasoning without texture loss. This is tofu learning to 'live' with its broth — hence the name.
1. Prepare a light broth: 300 ml dashi, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sake.
2. Gently heat the broth to barely a simmer.
3. Add silken tofu — whole or in large pieces. The heat must be very gentle; the goal is warming, not cooking aggressively.
4. Maintain a bare simmer for 10–15 minutes. The tofu will gradually absorb the broth flavours.
5. Serve in bowls with a little of the broth. The tofu should be delicate and filled with flavour.
The longer, gentler simmering allows deep seasoning without texture loss. This is tofu learning to 'live' with its broth — hence the name.