Hiyayakko

nihongo|Hiyayakko|冷奴|cold tofu is a popular Japanese dish made with chilled tofu and toppings. It is usually served during the summer season. There are two kinds of tofu used in hiyayakko: "kinugoshi" (silken), which is more frequently used, and the less common "momen" (cotton).

Hiyayakko can be served with ordinary meals or with beer. It is best made with fresh tofu. In winter, nihongo|boiled tofu|湯豆腐|yudofu is served more often than hiyayakko.

Variety of toppings

The choice of toppings on the tofu vary among households and restaurants, but a standard combination is chopped green onion with katsuobushi (dried skipjack tuna flakes) and soy sauce. Other toppings include:
* perilla leaf
* "yuzu" rind
* sliced myoga ginger
* grated ginger
* sliced okra
* plum paste
* mustard

History and background

Hiyayakko is also known as "hiyakko" or "yakko-dōfu". "Hiya" means cold, and "yakko" refers to the servants of samurai during the Edo period in Japan. They wore a vest on which the "nail-puller crest" was attached, on the shoulders, therefore cutting something (e.g. tofu) into cubes was called nihongo|"cutting into "yakko"|奴に切る|yakko ni kiru. "Hiyakkoi" or "hyakkoi", the Tokyo dialectal term equivalent to the standard Japanese nihongo|"hiyayaka"|冷ややか, is also a possible etymology. [Sugimoto, Tutomu (2005). "Gogenkai". Tokyo: Tokyo Shoseki Co., Ltd. ISBN 978-4487797431.]

In the nihongo|"Tofu Hyakuchin"|豆腐百珍, it is said that hiyayakko is so well-known that it needs no introduction.

In haiku, hiyayakko is a season word for summer.

See also

* Tofu
* Japanese cuisine

References

External links

* [http://www.bob-an.com/recipe/dailyjc/basic/tofu/tofu.asp Hiyayakko - Japanese Basic Recipes Bob & Angie/Recipe]