Hiyayakko: Cold Tofu with a Little Garnish and a Spoonful of Tsuyu
Silken tofu, a pinch of bonito flakes, green onion, and 1 teaspoon of sauce. There is no stove, no extra step, and nothing else added.
A piece of cold silken tofu is cut in half, topped with a pinch of shaved bonito flakes and sliced green onion, then finished with 1 teaspoon of seasoned sauce. That is hiyayakko (冷奴, read ひややっこ), a Japanese side dish of chilled tofu that needs no heat at all.
The version here is one specific recipe: "Hiyayakko (made with Basic Okazu Tsuyu)" from Kikkoman Home Cooking, the recipe site of the Japanese seasoning maker Kikkoman. The page is credited to the Kikkoman Home Cooking editorial team, and the site explains that its recipes are developed by professional cooks and Kikkoman's recipe developers. It is written for one serving and lists a cooking time of 5 minutes; that figure is the time shown on the recipe page, not a measured time from our own kitchen. This recipe has not been kitchen-tested by Sekai Gohan.
Other Japanese recipe sites also publish hiyayakko recipes with their own ingredient choices. This article does not claim to be the only way to make it; it follows this single Kikkoman version exactly, with its four ingredients and one step. For more dishes from the same country, see our Japan page.
What Hiyayakko Is
Kikkoman Home Cooking files this recipe under side dishes and tags it as Japanese-style and a standard. Its method is the whole dish in one line: cut the tofu, plate it, top it, and pour on the sauce. Two other Japanese food producers, Mizkan and Yamaki, also publish recipes under the name 冷奴 built around silken tofu, a condiment and a short serving method, which confirms that this is a familiar, simple dish in Japan.
The recipe pages consulted here do not explain where the name comes from or how old the dish is, so this article does not guess at its origin, history, or seasonal customs. What can be said is what is on the plate: cold tofu, eaten with a little garnish and seasoned sauce.
Ingredients (1 serving)
Equipment
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Small serving dish
- Measuring teaspoon
Choosing and Preparing the Four Ingredients
Tofu. Use silken tofu (kinugoshi). Firm (momen) tofu is a different ingredient.
Green onion. Slice one stalk of green onion into thin rounds (koguchigiri).
Bonito flakes. Use one pinch of shaved bonito flakes (削り節).
Sauce. Use Kikkoman Basic Okazu Tsuyu (キッコーマン基本のおかずつゆ), 1 teaspoon.
Method: One Step, From Board to Plate
Everything happens in a single sequence: cut, plate, top, pour. There is no draining, heating or extra chilling.
Keeping It Simple: What This Version Leaves Out
Because the dish is so short, most of the decisions are about what not to add. The recipe followed here does not include any of the following, so this article does not add them either:
| Not included | Why it matters here |
|---|---|
| Draining or pressing the tofu | The method goes straight from cutting to plating |
| Blanching or heating | This is a no-cook dish |
| A set chilling time or serving temperature | None is given, so no number is offered here |
| Ginger, shiso, soy sauce, ponzu or other extra toppings | The plate holds only tofu, bonito flakes, green onion and the tsuyu |
| Swapping the tsuyu for another sauce at the same amount | No equal-amount swap is established (see FAQ) |
If a different hiyayakko is what you are after, other Japanese recipe sites publish their own versions with other condiments. This article keeps to the one Kikkoman version so that every amount on this page comes from a single recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many grams of green onion is "1 stalk's worth"?
The Kikkoman recipe lists the green onion only as "1 stalk, sliced into rounds" and gives no weight, so this article does not convert it. Slice one stalk and use all of it.
How much is a pinch of bonito flakes in grams?
The recipe gives the amount only as a pinch. The page does mention 0.3 g of katsuobushi, but only as the assumption behind its nutrition calculation, not as the ingredient amount, so this article does not treat a pinch as 0.3 g.
Can I use soy sauce, ponzu, or a different tsuyu instead, at the same 1 teaspoon?
The recipe specifies Kikkoman Basic Okazu Tsuyu at 1 teaspoon and does not give a substitute. Other sauces may differ in strength, so this article does not present any of them as an equal swap at the same amount.
Does it really take only 5 minutes?
Kikkoman Home Cooking shows a cooking time of 5 minutes for this recipe. That is the figure displayed on its page; this article has not timed it in a test kitchen.
How should I keep the tofu, and can I make it ahead?
The recipe gives no storage time or make-ahead instructions. Follow the storage directions and date on your tofu package, and assemble the dish when you are ready to eat it.
Sources
- Kikkoman Home Cooking editorial team, "冷奴（基本のおかずつゆ使用）のレシピ・つくり方" (Hiyayakko made with Basic Okazu Tsuyu), Kikkoman Home Cooking. The single recipe used here: one serving of 100 g silken tofu, a pinch of shaved bonito flakes, 1 stalk's worth of sliced green onion and 1 tsp Kikkoman Basic Okazu Tsuyu; the one-step method; the displayed 5-minute cooking time; and the nutrition note's 0.3 g katsuobushi assumption. The site states its recipes are developed by professional cooks and Kikkoman recipe developers. https://www.kikkoman.co.jp/homecook/search/recipe/00057927/
- Mizkan Menu Team, "冷奴のレシピ・作り方" (Hiyayakko recipe), Mizkan Group Ouchi Recipe. An independent confirmation that a Japanese food producer publishes a silken-tofu dish under the name 冷奴; none of its ingredients, amounts or method is used in this recipe. https://www.mizkan.co.jp/ouchirecipe/recipe/?menu_id=8153
- Yamaki Co., Ltd., "冷奴" (Hiyayakko), Yamaki Oishii Recipe. A further independent confirmation of the dish under the name 冷奴; none of its ingredients, amounts or method is used in this recipe. https://www.yamaki.co.jp/recipe/%E5%86%B7%E5%A5%B4-2
