雪消飯
Yukigemeshi
Melting-Snow Rice
English Interpretation
Cut tofu into thin strips like noodles. Simmer in soy sauce and sake. Serve with grated daikon, poured over twice-cooked rice. White tofu noodles on the rice, melting away like snow.
原文 · Original (1782)
豆腐を細く切りて、麺の如くすべし。醤油と酒にて煮るべし。大根おろしを添へ、二度炊きの飯に掛けて出すべし。白き豆腐の麺、飯の上にて雪の消ゆる如し。
Transliteration
Tōfu wo hosoku kirite, men no gotoku su beshi. Shōyu to sake nite niru beshi. Daikon-oroshi wo soe, nido-daki no meshi ni kakete dasu beshi. Shiroki tōfu no men, meshi no ue nite yuki no kiyuru gotoshi.
Notes & Annotations
The NDL newsletter describes this as: 'after boiling noodle-shaped tofu with soy sauce and sake, serve it with grated daikon radish and twice-boiled rice.' The newsletter author notes: 'Although it is rather difficult to cut tofu like noodles and keep its shape, there are seven noodle-form tofu dishes in Tofu Hyakuchin.'
English Recipe
Ingredients
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firm tofu 豆腐 1 block (350 g)一丁 Must be very well pressed to cut into noodle shapes
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soy sauce 醤油 2 tablespoons
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sake 酒 2 tablespoonsCooking sake
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daikon radish 大根 5 cm piece, gratedFinely grated as a garnish
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cooked rice (twice-cooked) 飯 2 bowlsNido-daki: rice that has been cooked, cooled, and reheated
Method
Serves 2
1. Press the tofu firmly — it must be dry enough to hold its shape when cut. Freeze and thaw overnight if needed for extra firmness.
2. With your sharpest knife, cut the tofu into noodle-like strips, about 3 mm × 3 mm × 6–8 cm. This is the hardest part of the recipe and the reason it is rated Superb — the original notes that there are seven noodle-form tofu dishes in the book, and cutting skill is paramount.
3. Combine soy sauce, sake, and water in a wide, shallow pan. Bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Carefully slide the tofu noodles into the broth. Simmer very gently for 2–3 minutes. Do not stir — lift and turn with chopsticks if needed.
5. Prepare the bowls: place hot rice in each, then lay the tofu noodles on top. Spoon a little of the cooking broth over.
6. Crown each bowl with a mound of grated daikon.
The name 'Melting-Snow Rice' comes from the visual: white tofu noodles draped over steaming rice, dissolving like snow in spring. The 'twice-cooked rice' (nido-daki) means rice that has been cooked, cooled, and reheated — it has a softer, more absorbent texture.
1. Press the tofu firmly — it must be dry enough to hold its shape when cut. Freeze and thaw overnight if needed for extra firmness.
2. With your sharpest knife, cut the tofu into noodle-like strips, about 3 mm × 3 mm × 6–8 cm. This is the hardest part of the recipe and the reason it is rated Superb — the original notes that there are seven noodle-form tofu dishes in the book, and cutting skill is paramount.
3. Combine soy sauce, sake, and water in a wide, shallow pan. Bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Carefully slide the tofu noodles into the broth. Simmer very gently for 2–3 minutes. Do not stir — lift and turn with chopsticks if needed.
5. Prepare the bowls: place hot rice in each, then lay the tofu noodles on top. Spoon a little of the cooking broth over.
6. Crown each bowl with a mound of grated daikon.
The name 'Melting-Snow Rice' comes from the visual: white tofu noodles draped over steaming rice, dissolving like snow in spring. The 'twice-cooked rice' (nido-daki) means rice that has been cooked, cooled, and reheated — it has a softer, more absorbent texture.