Celebration for Soy Fanatics

By Chihye Chung

Not even the scorching inferno-like heat could keep away Southern California tofu fans from this years 8th annual Tofu Festival in Little Tokyo. Last weekend, July 19th and 20th, I went to see what was new at this year's festival themed, "Come see what's new. It's not just tofu anymore!"

Upon arrival, visitors heard the pounding beat of the Taiko drums and the Polynesian music that resounded throughout the festival grounds. The festival was split into three areas for which the shops, entertainment and dining were divided. Fortunately, loud speakers were placed sporadically on the premises so that all who attended were able to hear announcements as well as the music played from the shows. Though this may have added to the celebratory experience, there seemed to have been an overwhelming number of elderly fans who moaned and groaned about how the pounding of the music only added to the annoyance of the roasting weather. Many also seemed very irritated with the surprisingly expensive tickets for admissions which from last year's $2.00 rose to $8.00. This dissatisfaction however probably only came from visitors who were not aware of the free admission coupons printed out in the Los Angeles Times prior to the festival.

The booths on the other hand, provided a sense of refuge from the sun as attendees crammed their bodies close to one another in order to position themselves closer to the electric fans. People also seemed relieved when they were handed free hand fans in order to cool themselves down. Regardless of the help of the fans, hot and sticky-skinned customers were still purchasing items sold at the booths ranging from Japanese crackers, chopsticks and bowls to Hawaiian print apparel.

However, more than the merchandise that was on sale, the booths that were calling for help from the Asian community was what caught my attention most. For instance, a booth was set up for the recruitment of Asian bone marrow donors for ailing Asian recipients who are waiting for a successful match. The sponsors' concern was that there is an extreme lack of the number of Asians in the US who are willing to be tested to see if they are potential bone marrow matches for dying patients. Though at times convincing tofu fans to sit down for 15 plus minutes seemed like a despondent effort, the booth seemed to have been making their hopeful hourly quota.

When tofu fans weren't shopping or watching the taiko drummers, what were they doing? Letting the beat of the drum lead them to the other side of the festival where the food was of course! Dozens of booths at the festivals sold over a 100+ tofu soy dishes and beverages to hungry fans. These tasty bites were purchased with tickets that sold for a buck each. A few of the most popular specialties included; tofu noodles, tofu mochi, tofu mayonnaise (with tortilla chips), tofu cheesecake and soy smoothies. Now, one must wonder, do these dishes actually appeal to the salivating taste buds of curious festival-goers? Perhaps to true tofu fan, but there was no denying the soy-essence and or the grainy taste from most of the dishes. But indeed, the festival food did not consist only of tofu. One particular non-tofu favorite of the fest was the Thai- barbeque beef/chicken shish kabobs that people readily stood in extended lines for. The taste? Great! Even under the hot rays.

The weekend may have not been as great a success if not for the cooking eminence, Chef Morimoto who graciously sat in his booth as he smiled for every photograph asked of him. For a small fee of $3.00, Chef Morimoto personally autographed boxes of tofu mix-his own creation. A Japanese native, Morimoto was kind and welcoming to all his fans even while sporting his trendy shades. One of Morimoto's fans remarked, "It's burning hot. I got his autograph, now I'm outa here!"

For tofu fans that were able to endure the unavoidable and relentless heat, this year's festival was most likely as enjoyable as the previous. After all, even in the crowds, there were many smiles and laughter coming from those who were satisfied even with the unbearable weather. Going on to only its 9th year, the festival with a few renovations is bound to continue being a success in the future.

August 1 2003