六方焦着豆腐
Roppō kogetsuki dōfu
Six-Sided Seared Tofu
English Interpretation
Trim tofu into a hexahedron. Cut all six faces flat. Fry in oil, browning each face. Drizzle with a little soy sauce and eat.
原文 · Original (1782)
豆腐を六方に面取りすべし。六つの面、いづれも平らかに切るべし。油にて全ての面を焦がし付くるまで焼くべし。醤油を少し掛けて食すべし。
Transliteration
Tōfu wo roppō ni mentori su beshi. Muttsu no men, izure mo tairaka ni kiru beshi. Abura nite subete no men wo kogashi-tsukuru made yaku beshi. Shōyu wo sukoshi kakete shokusu beshi.
Notes & Annotations
Roppō (六方) means 'six directions/sides.' Roppō-giri is a traditional Japanese cutting technique that trims a vegetable (often taro) into a neat hexahedron. Kogetsuki (焦着) means 'seared until attached/crusted.'
English Recipe
Ingredients
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firm tofu 豆腐 1 block (350 g)一丁 Trimmed into hexahedrons
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vegetable oil 油 2 tablespoonsFor pan-searing
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soy sauce 醤油 to taste
Method
Serves 2
1. Cut firm tofu into blocks, then carefully trim each block into a neat hexahedron — six clean, flat faces. This is the roppō cutting technique traditionally used on taro.
2. Pat completely dry.
3. Heat oil in a heavy pan. Sear the tofu on all six sides, one at a time, until each face develops a deep golden crust. This takes patience — about 2 minutes per face.
4. Serve with a drizzle of soy sauce.
The 'curious' quality is the commitment: six faces, each seared individually. The result is tofu with a complete shell of golden crust enclosing a soft interior.
1. Cut firm tofu into blocks, then carefully trim each block into a neat hexahedron — six clean, flat faces. This is the roppō cutting technique traditionally used on taro.
2. Pat completely dry.
3. Heat oil in a heavy pan. Sear the tofu on all six sides, one at a time, until each face develops a deep golden crust. This takes patience — about 2 minutes per face.
4. Serve with a drizzle of soy sauce.
The 'curious' quality is the commitment: six faces, each seared individually. The result is tofu with a complete shell of golden crust enclosing a soft interior.