🍱 Komo dofu

Taking advantage of its mild year-round climate and abundant water quality, Ibaraki Prefecture has long been a center of agriculture. While the prefecture is famous for such crops as lotus root, green peppers, and burdocks, it also grows locally the soybeans that are used to make natto, Ibaraki Prefecture's signature fermented soybeans. Small soybeans are processed into natto (fermented soybeans) and large soybeans are processed into tofu. One of Ibaraki Prefecture's local dishes using such soybeans is "komo-dofu. Komodofu" is tofu wrapped in straw wrappings and boiled in salted water, just like natto (fermented soybeans). In addition to Ibaraki Prefecture, it is also made in Fukushima, Gunma, Gifu, and some other prefectures. Tofu is said to have originated in China during the Han Dynasty, 2,000 years ago, and was later brought to Japan during the Nara Period through Japanese envoys to the Tang Dynasty. What was valued in vegetarian cooking at temples eventually spread among the general public, and by the Edo period, tofu shops were already thriving. At a time when meat was not easily available, tofu was an important foodstuff from which to obtain protein. However, since tofu did not last long, villagers would bring straw to the store, fill it with tofu, and boil it in a large pot with salt to make this dish, which is said to have been born from the mutual support of the common people.