Photographing One Of America’s Oldest Tofu Shops

Growing up in Portland, Ore., in the ’90s, tofu could be hard to find. It would be a long time before ramen joints spread across the city, before national chains like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods had their own store-brand tofu. But like soba noodles, nori, rice and fish, tofu is a staple of Japanese home cooking. So my parents regularly made a 15-minute drive west, across the Willamette River, to stock up at Ota Tofu. Nong’s Khao Man Gai, a popular Thai chicken and rice restaurant, uses Ota Tofu in their vegetarian option, Khao Man Gai Jay. Will Matsuda for NPR The old-school company still makes its tofu by hand in small batches, navigating a growing demand for plant-based foods. But what I didn’t realize then is that it’s also a cultural institution — the oldest tofu producer still operating in the country, Ota Tofu has fed Portland’s Japanese American community for more than 100 years. Eileen Ota, the former owner of Ota Tofu. Will Matsuda for NPR Eileen Ota, a former owner of Ota