Water and its role in the Kansai diet Yuba (dried soybean casein) Water that brings out the true flavor of ingredients. After being drawn from the soy milk, the yuba is allowed to dry by suspending it from the bamboo rod. After ten sheets of yuba are drawn, the soy milk is topped up. Yuba, like tofu, is a food whose flavor is determined by the soybeans, the water, and the technique of the producer. The process for making yuba is identical to that for tofu from the boiling of the soybeans to the production of soy milk. After that, the soy milk is heated and the thin film that forms on the top is removed using thin rods made of bamboo. This thin film is called nama-yuba, or fresh yuba. Approximately 70 to 80 percent of all the yuba produced in Japan comes from Kyoto. The three key aspects of good yuba are said to be the color, luster, and taste, and the key to all three is, of course, the water used. To preserve the texture and flavor that have been prized since ancient times, well water of consistent quality and temperature are used. Some producers have switched to tap water, but it is said that even they use well water for the critical steps of washing and soaking the soybeans. It is no exaggeration that excellent water is essential to the production of the best yuba. Kyo Yuba Management: Daita TEL 075-491-4280 BACK NEXT All images Copyright. 1997 Kansai International Public Relations Promotion Office. All Rights Reserved.