Hiyayakko Recipe

Hiyayakko is a Japanese dish made with chilled tofu cubes and a selection of toppings. In this simple recipe, the toppings of green onions, ginger root, kastuobushi and soy sauce are used.  Also known as hiyakko or yakko-dōfu, Hiyayakko is a popular snack. There are many legends associated with the interesting etymology of the dish. Hiya means cold, and yakko was a word used to refer to the servants of samurai during the Edo period in Japan. These servents used to wear a speciak vest, with a"nail-puller crest" attached on the shoulders. And cutting something into cubes was called "Hiyakkoi" or "hyakkoi" which simply meant 'cutting into Yakko'.  In Haiku, hiyayakko is a 'season word' (a word or a phrase associated with a seasoan) for summer, and this is because tofu is enjoyed cold in summer and warm in winter.