How our Okara is produced

The hidden superfood from tofu production

When you think of tofu, you probably imagine silky blocks of plant protein or a stir-fried favorite from your local restaurant. But behind every block of tofu lies an underrated nutritional powerhouse — Okara (おから), also known as soy pulp or soybean fiber.

Okara is a byproduct of tofu production, but don’t let the word byproduct fool you — it’s rich in dietary fiber, protein, and micro-nutrients that make it one of Japan’s most sustainable and nutritious superfoods.

Let’s take a closer look at how okara is made.

🌱 Step 1: Soaking the Soybeans

Everything starts with whole soybeans, typically soaked in water for 8–12 hours to soften them. This helps loosen their cellular structure, making it easier to extract the protein and nutrients during the next steps.

🧠 Fun fact: The soaking time and water temperature can affect the tofu’s final texture and flavor — and in turn, the composition of Okara.

🌀 Step 2: Grinding into Soy Slurry

The softened soybeans are ground with water into a thick slurry, often using a stone grinder or modern high-speed mill.
This slurry contains soluble proteins, sugars, and oils, along with the insoluble fibers of the soybeans.

🔥 Step 3: Cooking the Soy Slurry

Next, the slurry is heated (usually around 100°C) to deactivate enzymes and the ‘beany’ flavor compounds. Cooking also helps release more nutrients and improves the extraction of soy milk in the next stage.

🥛 Step 4: Filtering to separate Soy Milk and Okara

The cooked slurry is then filtered through fine cloth or mesh to separate:

Soy milk (tonyu) — the liquid portion, used to make tofu, soy drinks, or yuba.
Okara — the fibrous, moist pulp left behind.

This filtering step is where okara is born.

The freshly separated Okara contains about 75-80% moisture, giving it a soft, crumbly texture similar to wet bran.

🍱 Step 5: Using or Drying the Okara

Traditionally, Okara is used fresh in Japanese home cooking — stir-fried with vegetables, added to soups, or mixed into baked goods.
For modern food production or export, Okara is often dried and milled into a fine powder, reducing moisture to below 10%.

This dried Okara powder is shelf-stable, rich in dietary fiber (~50%), and high in plant protein (~25%), making it ideal for use in:

Health foods and smoothies
Plant-based meat alternatives
Bakery and snack formulations
Animal feed or fertilizer (in circular farming systems)

🌏 Why Okara Matters

For every kilogram of tofu produced, about 1.2 kilograms of Okara are generated — a massive potential resource that is often underused.
Repurposing Okara not only reduces food waste but also adds nutritional and environmental value to the tofu supply chain.

By embracing Okara, Japanese Superfood is transforming what was once discarded into a functional, sustainable ingredient that supports both human health and the planet.

Japanese Superfood