たたき豆腐 Tataki dōfu

Pounded Tofu

#56 佳品 Fine

English Interpretation

Mix grilled tofu and Fuzhou miso in a seven-to-three ratio, and mash them together with the flat of a knife. It firms up and is easy to eat.

原文 · Original (1782)

焼き豆腐と福州味噌を七三の比にて混ぜ、庖丁の平らかなるもので一つに打ちまぜるべし。堅く固まりて、食べやすし。

Transliteration

Yaki dōfu to Fukushū miso wo shichisan no hi nite mazé, hōchō no tairakai naru mono de hitotsu ni uchi-mazeru beshi. Kataku katamari te, tabeyasushi.

Notes & Annotations

Tataki (叩き) means 'to pound' or 'to strike.' The original text specifies: 'Mix grilled tofu and Fukusa miso in a 7:3 ratio. Pound the mixture with a kitchen knife until it is one solid piece.' Fukusa miso is a type of miso preparation.

English Recipe

Ingredients

  • grilled firm tofu 焼き豆腐 1 block (350 g), grilled
    一丁 7 parts of the 7:3 ratio
  • aged red miso (fukusa) 福州味噌 150 g
    3 parts of the 7:3 ratio; or use good aged aka miso

Method

Serves 2–3

1. Grill or pan-fry a block of firm tofu until golden on both sides. Cool slightly.
2. Cut the grilled tofu into chunks and place in a mortar or mixing bowl.
3. Prepare Fukusa miso (or use a good-quality aged red miso): you will need about 150 g miso and 300 g grilled tofu for a 7:3 ratio.
4. Add the miso to the tofu in the mortar.
5. Using the flat of a large kitchen knife (hōchō) or a pestle, pound and mix the tofu and miso together vigorously for several minutes until they form a solid, cohesive paste.
6. Shape into a mound or patty and serve at room temperature, optionally with a garnish of kinome.

Tataki means 'pounded.' The combination of earthy grilled tofu and savoury, aged miso creates a dense, concentrated flavour — almost a spread.