Last update September 27, 2025
Japanese Food - Kōya Dōfu -
Kōya Dōfu
[koh-yah-doh-huh]
こうやどうふ, 高野豆腐
Dried Frozen Tōfu
Imagine an edible sponge sodden with a delicious broth. That’s almost Kōya Dōfu, even though it may not sound like a foodstuff. Kōya Dōfu literally means the Tōfu of Kōya, and is related to Mt. Kōya, where major sanctuaries of Shingon Buddhism (Kongōbuji Temple) are located. So, why the name? As you suspect, the food is believed to have been developed at this temple as part of Shōjin Ryōri (Buddhist diets), and was initially dubbed “Kōri Dōfu” (frozen Tōfu) since it was accidentally produced when a monk carelessly left Tōfu outdoors in winter. By the way, there is a Tohoku version of this type of food, called “Shimi Dōfu” (freezing cold Tōfu). While Kōya Dōfu was allegedly created by a monk’s mistake, Shimi Dōfu was reportedly developed by the warrior Takeda Shingen as part of his military provisions. The production processes of those items used to be slightly different; however, the Kōya Dōfu method has become prevalent, and there is no significant difference between their flavours.
A Kōya Dōfu package available at a supermarket.
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A Kōya Dōfu product.
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A Kōya Dōfu package available at a supermarket.
A Kōya Dōfu product.
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