Soft Tofu (Sundubu)

Sundubu (soft tofu) is the most delicate form of tofu, made by adding coagulant to hot soy milk and allowing it to set without pressing, resulting in a custard-like texture. While it shares the same Donguibogam classification as regular tofu — cool nature, sweet flavor, detoxifying properties — sundubu occupies its own distinct culinary niche. The dish sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew), bubbling fiery-red at the table, has become one of the most internationally recognized Korean dishes. Its origins trace to the tofu-making villages of the Joseon Dynasty, where the freshest, unpressed curds were considered the purest and most flavorful stage of tofu, eaten immediately while still warm from the cauldron.