沙金豆腐 Sakin dōfu

Gold-Dust Tofu

#55 佳品 Fine

English Interpretation

Arrange tofu, then grate egg yolk and scatter it like grains of sand. Golden sand gleaming on the tofu.

原文 · Original (1782)

豆腐をよく盛りて、卵の黄身を摺りて、砂粒の如く散らしかけるべし。金砂、豆腐に光りぬ。

Transliteration

Tōfu wo yoku mori te, tamago no kimi wo surite, sunatsutsubu no gotoku chirakshi-kakeru beshi. Kin-sa, tōfu ni hikari nu.

Notes & Annotations

Sakin (沙金/砂金) means 'placer gold' or 'gold dust found in river sand.' The name emphasizes visual luxury.

English Recipe

Ingredients

  • silken tofu 豆腐 1 block (350 g)
    一丁 Chilled, whole or large pieces
  • egg yolks 2 yolks, hard-boiled or raw
    Sieved for speckled effect
  • dashi stock 出汁 150 ml
    Chilled

Method

Serves 2–3

1. Mound chilled silken tofu in a white bowl or on a white plate.
2. Hard-boil 2 egg yolks (or use just yolks from raw eggs if safe), then push through a fine sieve to create a crumbly, granular texture.
3. Sprinkle the sieved egg yolk generously over the top of the tofu, creating a golden, speckled appearance like scattered gold dust.
4. Serve chilled with a light dashi and a drop of soy sauce.

Sakin (gold dust) evokes luxury and visual beauty. The golden egg yolk against the pure white tofu creates a striking, elegant presentation.