Nikko Yuba: Tochigi's Temple-Town Tofu-Skin Delicacy

Yuba, the skin that forms on top of simmering soy milk, has been made in Nikko for centuries, largely because the mountain town's Buddhist temples relied on it as a protein-rich substitute for meat in shojin ryori, traditional vegetarian temple cuisine. Nikko's cold, clean spring water is often credited for giving the local soy milk a cleaner taste, and small producers still make yuba by hand, lifting each sheet individually rather than mass-producing it.

Fresh, unfried yuba (nama-yuba) has a delicate, almost custardy texture and is often eaten simply, dipped in soy sauce or wasabi, while dried yuba (kanso-yuba) keeps for months and gets rehydrated for soups and simmered dishes. Rolled and simmered yuba (yuba-maki) is another common preparation. Because fresh yuba is delicate and doesn't travel well, it's very much a try-it-locally food — the dried version is the more practical souvenir to bring home.