Stepping out, I grew annoyed of my situation. I was stupid pudgy and I hated it. So I decided that moment that I need to start going on a diet if I'm ever going to find myself fitting anything other than tees and shorts/pants ever again.
Sometime later after writing a short essay in class about how I wanted to go on a diet and getting fairly decent marks out of it, I approached one of my teachers from my last term, whom I liked to share food and travel photos to. I told her of my diet and asked her what Japanese food she recommended for me to have. She told me about yudofu (湯豆腐), a popular dish in Kyoto, and after kindly requesting her, she was more than willing to teach me how to make this simple recipe.
Yudofu is derived from oyu (お湯), which means hot water, and tofu (豆腐). As its name suggests, yudofu is simply silk tofu cooked in hot water. It's not just any water though; it's water infused with kombu (昆布), or kelp. Afterwards, the tofu is eaten with veggies, bonito flakes or katsuobushi (鰹節), along with other condiments like grated radish and ponzu (ポン酢).
Whether you're starting a vegan diet, a tofu lover, or just wanting to live better in general, this is a dish worth making if your ingredients are within reach.
