What is nigari? The traditional way to make tofu
Nigari is the natural coagulant that turns soya milk into tofu. What it is, where it comes from, and why we use it.
Nigari is what turns soya milk into tofu. It's the traditional Japanese coagulant, and it's one of only three ingredients in our tofu: organic soya beans, water and nigari.
What is it made of?
Nigari is mostly magnesium chloride. It's what's left after salt is extracted from seawater. The name comes from the Japanese word for "bitter", because on its own it tastes bitter. Once it has set the tofu, you can't taste it.
How does it work?
Stir a little nigari into hot soya milk and the proteins clump together into soft curds, a bit like making cheese. The curds are scooped into a mould and pressed into a block.
Nigari vs other coagulants
Tofu makers mainly use one of three coagulants:
- Nigari (magnesium chloride): the traditional choice. It gives a smooth, clean-tasting tofu with a slightly sweet, beany flavour.
- Calcium sulphate (gypsum): common in Chinese-style tofu and mass-produced blocks. It gives a softer, milder tofu and adds calcium.
- Glucono delta-lactone (GDL): mostly used for silken tofu.
Nigari sets quickly, so it takes more care to get right. We think the flavour is worth it.
On a label it may appear as "nigari", "magnesium chloride" or "firming agent: magnesium chloride".