Producer
OTA Tofu
City: Portland, OR,
Website: https://www.otapdx.com/
About Us
When the Ota family started their business in 1911, it provided a healthy taste of home for Portland's thriving and rapidly growing Japanese immigrant community. Ota Tofu is now the oldest producer of tofu in the United States and one of the oldest in North America.
The first Ota Tofu blocks were cooked in gas-fired brick ovens and except for a four-year period during World War Two, they have been a mainstay of the Asian-American community ever since.
During the war, the Ota family, along with tens of thousands of Japanese-Americans along the west coast, were forced to give up their homes and businesses. Fortunately, a sympathetic landlord protected their original location in Northwest Portland and at the end of the war the Ota's were able to resume producing Tofu for Portland's Asian-American community.
When Jason Ogata, a Portland-native and former professional baseball player who grew up eating Ota Tofu, learned that the Ota family was thinking about closing their shop, it was clear what needed to be done. Jason took over in 2019, working alongside the Ota family to keep America's oldest tofu company alive.
The first Ota Tofu blocks were cooked in gas-fired brick ovens and except for a four-year period during World War Two, they have been a mainstay of the Asian-American community ever since.
During the war, the Ota family, along with tens of thousands of Japanese-Americans along the west coast, were forced to give up their homes and businesses. Fortunately, a sympathetic landlord protected their original location in Northwest Portland and at the end of the war the Ota's were able to resume producing Tofu for Portland's Asian-American community.
When Jason Ogata, a Portland-native and former professional baseball player who grew up eating Ota Tofu, learned that the Ota family was thinking about closing their shop, it was clear what needed to be done. Jason took over in 2019, working alongside the Ota family to keep America's oldest tofu company alive.
Practices
What makes Ota Tofu stand out from other brands? Our dedication to traditional craftsmanship and quality ingredients creates a tofu experience unlike any other.
Ota Tofu is made with only three ingredients – soybeans, water, and nigari. This traditional coagulant, derived from seawater and imported from Japan, is one reason our tofu must be handmade. Nigari produces soybean curds that are too delicate for a machine to process, requiring each slab of Ota Tofu to be hand stirred and handcrafted. While other producers use calcium sulfate (gypsum) that allows for machine processing, we believe nigari creates better texture and flavor – and invite you to taste the difference.
Ota Tofu is made with only three ingredients – soybeans, water, and nigari. This traditional coagulant, derived from seawater and imported from Japan, is one reason our tofu must be handmade. Nigari produces soybean curds that are too delicate for a machine to process, requiring each slab of Ota Tofu to be hand stirred and handcrafted. While other producers use calcium sulfate (gypsum) that allows for machine processing, we believe nigari creates better texture and flavor – and invite you to taste the difference.