Even when I'm not eating meat, tofu is rarely my order of choice, much less the sole protein featured in a three-course meal. But a few bites into one of the best burgers I've ever tasted, I'm seriously reconsidering that stance.
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The crescent-shaped valley formed by the Kuma River in southern Kumamoto in Japan is home to a staggering array of artisan producers. Exploring the region on a day-long e-bike adventure, I find myself sipping delicately roasted hojicha in the middle of a lush tea plantation and learning the secrets of powerfully flavoured shochu from a master distiller.
But the most memorable stop is at a humble family-run tofu producer, Ganko Tofu.
As owner Yasutomu Makino takes me through the tofu-making process, he explains that "there are two things that determine the quality of tofu: the beans and the water".
A 120-metre-deep well dug by his father takes care of the latter, but - in this case - quantity matters just as much as quality.
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All of Makino's products use soy milk as a base and the rich, undiluted liquid he produces is unrecognisable from the watery options that tend to crowd supermarket shelves in Australia. It's so thick, it feels more like cream. What's more? It's unsweetened and still carries the flavour of the beans it was made from.
After the insightful tour, we make ourselves comfortable on an adjacent riverbank and devour luscious deep-fried sweet and sour tofu cubes and a burger that's drizzled with tofu-based mayonnaise and studded with whole soybeans and chewy mushrooms for texture.
A silky sweet tofu pudding that's the equal of any custard wraps up the feast before Makino points out that it's not just tofu that benefits from good-quality water. One very refreshing dip later, I'm ready to continue my bike tour through this fertile valley. kumagawa.co.jp/en/cycling/; gankotofu.com
