If you browse through the tofu section at a Korean supermarket you will notice that like cheese, tofu (Koreans call it dubu) comes in a variety of brands and uses. You will also notice that there are many kinds of tofu, labeled as organic tofu, wellbeing tofu, morning tofu, pure tofu, and so on.  Tofu is most commonly used in Korean soups, stews and pan-friend dishes.

Originating in China and introduced to Korea during the Shilla dynasty, tofu is an essential part of the Korean diet and can be used in just about anything.  It is high in iron and protein and low in calories and fat making it a basal vegetarian supplement.  The protein content in one 8 ounce portion of firm tofu has the equivalent to that of 3-4 eggs.

Also similar to cheese is the tofu making process.  I recently attended an organic farming retreat at Oeam Village near Asan city with six other foreigners as part of a special WWOOF program where we learned how to make tofu from scratch.  Gang Jung-soon, a farm leader and cook at Oeam Village, took time out of her hectic day to teach us about the tofu making process.

From the farm to the table the production technique is quite simple and can be carried out from start to finish in less than a day if the beans have been dried.  After the first steps of washing, grinding and soaking have been completed, the bean mixture is ready to be cooked.  Taking extra caution, we pour the mixture into a large pot and cook it over a stove on medium-high heat.  Stirring constantly is essential to the quality of the tofu because it can boil up quickly or burn easily, producing a bad taste.

We help strain the hot mixture into a bucket, collecting the bean solids in a sack made from hanbok cloth.  Using the strength of her entire body, Jung-soon squeezes the solids over a wooden grate, saving as much bean milk as possible for the curdling process.  She than coagulates the mixture by slowly adding a salt water concoction to the hot bean milk.  She gathers the floating curdles and moulds them into a rectangular shape using a plastic basket.  The hardened tofu is cooled and sliced onto a plate, ready to be eaten.

Tofu is simple enough to make at home and you can add your own artisanal touch to the process by using a blender to grind the dried beans, table salt and lemon juice as a coagulant, and cheesecloth as a strainer.

During my stay at Oeam Folk Village I also learned about sweet potato and sesame seed harvesting, rice processing and Korean farm and rural life in general.  I hope to share my experience with my family and friends when I return to Canada and possibly try to make a batch of tofu from soy milk.  Before leaving Korea I would also like to try my hand at making other staples like kimchi, bibimbap and dwenjang chiggae.