湯やっこ
Yu yakko
Hot-Water Yakko
English Interpretation
Prepare kuzu broth, add tofu, simmer, and serve just as it is. Add nothing else. The true flavor of tofu is here.
原文 · Original (1782)
葛湯を拵へ、豆腐を入れて煮、そのまま出すのみ。他に何も加ふべからず。豆腐の真味、此にあり。
Transliteration
Kuzu-yu wo koshirae, tōfu wo irete ni, sono mama dasu nomi. Hoka ni nani mo kuwau bekarazu. Tōfu no shinmi, koko ni ari.
Notes & Annotations
The NDL newsletter notes: 'The author's pen name, Kahitsujun (何必醇), means "not only rich tasting cuisine but a simple dish also tastes great." You can feel the author's spirit from the fact that Yuyakko, very simple boiled tofu, is ranked as superb.' This is the philosophical heart of the book.
English Recipe
Ingredients
-
silken tofu 絹漉し豆腐 1 block (350 g)一丁 Use the best quality available — this recipe has nowhere to hide
-
kuzu (arrowroot) starch 葛粉 1 tablespoonDissolved in cold water before adding to hot
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soft water 水 400 mlGood water matters when the recipe is this simple
Method
Serves 2
1. Dissolve the kuzu starch in 2 tablespoons cold water, stirring until smooth.
2. Bring the 400 ml water to a gentle simmer in a clean pot. Stir in the kuzu slurry. Continue stirring until the liquid turns from cloudy to translucent and thickens slightly — this is your kuzu-yu (arrowroot gruel).
3. Cut the tofu into large, elegant pieces. Lower them gently into the kuzu-yu.
4. Simmer very gently for 3–5 minutes, just enough to heat through. Do not boil vigorously — the tofu should warm in its silky bath, not tumble.
5. Serve immediately in warmed bowls, with some of the kuzu-yu ladled over.
That is the entire recipe. The author rated this — essentially plain hot tofu — as Superb. His pen name, Kahitsujun (何必醇, 'why must it be rich?'), tells you why: if the tofu is good, nothing else is needed. This is the philosophical heart of the book.
1. Dissolve the kuzu starch in 2 tablespoons cold water, stirring until smooth.
2. Bring the 400 ml water to a gentle simmer in a clean pot. Stir in the kuzu slurry. Continue stirring until the liquid turns from cloudy to translucent and thickens slightly — this is your kuzu-yu (arrowroot gruel).
3. Cut the tofu into large, elegant pieces. Lower them gently into the kuzu-yu.
4. Simmer very gently for 3–5 minutes, just enough to heat through. Do not boil vigorously — the tofu should warm in its silky bath, not tumble.
5. Serve immediately in warmed bowls, with some of the kuzu-yu ladled over.
That is the entire recipe. The author rated this — essentially plain hot tofu — as Superb. His pen name, Kahitsujun (何必醇, 'why must it be rich?'), tells you why: if the tofu is good, nothing else is needed. This is the philosophical heart of the book.