Things About Japan

Last update September 2, 2025

Japanese Food - Warabi -


  

     

Goma Dōfu

Sesame Tōfu or a sesame-flavoured starch pudding

japanese-food-goma-dofu A chocolate mousse or caramel bavarois? Yeah, it looks like them. The surface seems to be smooth and slippery. When you gently touch it with a spoon, it does make that gelatinous swing. You scoop a bit and slide it onto your tongue. Hmm... tastes different from what you expected? And this unique mouth-spreading aftertaste of sesame!... Well, it’s Goma Dōfu or literally “sesame Tōfu”. Even though the name suggests a kind of Tōfu, it’s technically not. Because it’s made of Kuzuko (kudzu plant starch) instead of soybeans like the real Tōfu. Sesame seeds roasted and ground are mixed with Kuzuko paste, which releases the sesame flavour when its creamy texture melts away in the mouth. Eating with Shōyu and Wasabi or special sauce enhances the natural sweetness of the starch.
(Photo: Goma Dōfu with a little cap of Wasabi.)