Kyoto Yudōfu

Yudofu is a tofu dish closely associated with Kyoto, especially in winter. Pieces of tofu are gently heated in a pot of water flavored with kombu kelp, then lifted out and eaten hot with a dipping sauce. Silken tofu is one common choice, and soy sauce and citrus can provide the accompanying seasoning. The lightly flavored liquid keeps the tofu central to the dish.^[1][2]

Tofu has a long place in Kyoto's Buddhist vegetarian cooking and local food production. Many makers use the city's groundwater, and tofu restaurants cluster around Nanzenji Temple. The name Nanzenji tofu appears in an Edo-period print by Utagawa Kunisada, recording the area's earlier reputation for tofu.^[3][2]