A glimpse into the art of yuba making at Hiei Yuba Co., Ltd. Japan. The video includes a brief history of how yuba reached Japan and a bit of info on the Hieizan Enryakuji Temple. A nice video if you have never seen yuba making before.
So, what is yuba? Yuba is made from soybeans and is sometimes loosely called tofu skin or bean curd skin. In fact, yuba is made straight from soy milk. Soy milk is never curdled, and hence there is no tofu involved in the process of making yuba.
How Yuba Is Made
Fresh soy milk is heated in shallow square or rectangular containers. When heated, a thin film or sheet forms on the surface of the milk. This sheet is skillfully removed and hung on a wire to dry. Dry yuba sheets are packed and sold, but before cooking, these sheets need to be soaked in water. Fresh (undried) yuba can also be used in cooking, depending on the recipe.
As you will see in the video, yuba is a lot more expensive as compared to tofu. While it is possible to obtain 3 to 4 kilograms of tofu from one kilogram of soybeans, you will only get 400 grams of yuba from that quantity of beans.
It is easy to make yuba at home, provided you have a setup to dry the sheets. And make sure to use a shallow pan. If yuba is available at a store near you, it is advisable to buy it instead of trying to make it.
Happy cooking.