I’ve been cooking with Hodo Extra Firm Tofu for years while remaining oblivious it was made with zero waste in Oakland. (Photo: Mark C. Anderson)

April 17, 2026—If you’re celebrating anything of importance, there better be some good food, ideally related to what’s being honored.

If you’ve had tofu in Vietnam, you’re more likely to understand why Minh Tsai was inspired produce it in California because he missed the level of quality he remembered from his youth there.

With Earth Day arriving in the week ahead (Wednesday, April 22), I tapped one of the area’s lead ambassadors of environmentally affectionate flavor, who happens to make tofu an hour from Santa Cruz, and stocks Monterey Bay grocery shelves for those ready to party for Pacha Mama.

Vietnam native Minh Tsai, founder and CEO of Hodo Tofu, makes his bean curds in Oakland. (Tsai is not to be confused with celebrity chef and Pebble Beach Food & Wine alum Ming Tsai, though the latter has his own brand of plant-based proteins called MingBings.)

A sampling of the restaurants that use Hodo Tofu equates to an endorsement with oomph: Lion Dance Cafe, State Bird Provisions, The Progress, Daniel’s (in NYC) and good ol’ Chipotle.

Grocers who stock it, meanwhile, include Whole Foods, Safeway and Andronico’s Community Markets. (Eaters can search stores with Hodo’s zip code-sorted finder.)

A couple of key reasons great tofu in general—and Hodo in particular—proves celebration-grade on any day, including Earth Day, which honors the advent of the modern environmental movement in 1970:

1) Soybeans use wildly less water and emit far fewer emissions than the production of animal proteins (and 10 times less water than almonds);

2) Hodo’s beautiful blocks emerge from fresh and certified-organic beans grown on American farms.

One of the benefits of having a pescatarian partner is that I’ve learned how to cook a ton of tofu.

My betrothed stacks the fridge with Hodo bricks for three reasons of her own.

“I like that it’s local, minimally processed, and organic, because sourcing for soy beans can be sketchy,” says Dr. Aimee Leigh, whose work as a family physician and holistic healer navigates a lot of nutrition.

While I make tofu dishes regularly, my tricks are limited to zingy marinades and experimental crusts. So my eyebrows hit the ceiling fan when I came across a pair of recipes circulated by Hodo’s promotions team.

They appear here, but a #tofuterabyte more awaits at Hodo’s website—we’re talking coconut curry soup and tofu tikka masala, spicy tofu tacos and gochujang tofu rice bowls, miso sushi bake cups and tofu “BLT”s.

Um, yum.

One final note worth celebrating: I do my tofu cheffing in Leigh’s little Berkeley apartment kitchen, less than a mile from where Minh Tsai teaches at Cal.

The class he oversees is called Inventing Healthy Food in the Ozempic Era.

Now we have more tools to invent our own. Happy Earth Day.

Homemade ramen is now within reach for normies like me. (Photo: Colin Price)

Miso Tofu Udon or Ramen
Yield: 2-4 Servings
Author: Bittersweet Vegan
From Hodo: “Try out one of our newest recipes below, a bowl of udon (or ramen) noodles topped with sliced [Hodo] Miso Tofu, in a rich and comforting miso soup. We hope you enjoy our interpretation of this iconic flavor!”

Ingredients
• 1 (8oz) package Hodo Miso Tofu, diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp red miso paste
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 8 oz dried udon noodles
• 4 oz fresh baby spinach
• 3 – 4 radishes, thinly sliced

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice the Hodo Miso Tofu in half, creating two large rectangles, and then slice those rectangles in half, leaving you with 4 equal, ¼-inch thick squares. Brush the squares with ½ tablespoon of oil and arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn each piece over, coat another ½ tablespoon of oil, and bake for another 8 – 10 minutes. Remove from the oven once the tofu is golden brown and crispy around the edges.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the soup. Set a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the sesame oil. Add the ginger and garlic, sauteing for 3 – 4 minutes, until lightly browned and aromatic. Add the miso paste and a small splash of the vegetable broth. Use just enough to break up the miso paste, stirring vigorously until incorporated. Make sure there are no lumps remaining before adding the rest of the broth.
4. Cover the saucepan, bring the broth to boil, then reduce the heat to low. Gently simmer until the tofu is ready.
5. Fill another saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Add the dried noodles and cook according to instructions on the package. Once the noodles are cooked al dente, drain thoroughly, and run them under cold water to prevent them from getting overcooked.
6. Add the spinach to the soup and cook for 2 minutes, until wilted and bright green.
7. Divide the noodles between bowls and ladle broth and spinach over the noodles. Top tofu and sliced radishes. Serve immediately.

Notes: You can use any other type of noodle you’d prefer, such as ramen, rice vermicelli, or even spaghetti. Instead of baking, the tofu can also be air fried at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. If you’d like a spicier soup, add sriracha, shichimi togarashi, or finely minced chilies, to taste.

Bring on the colorful and flavorful. (Photo: Alanna Taylor Tobin/The Bojon Gourmet)

Spinach Salad with Tofu & Turmeric Dressing
Yield: 2-3
Author: Hodo Kitchen
A crunchy, colorful spinach salad that brings the sunshine, with Hodo’s Lightly Fried Golden Turmeric Tofu and a turmeric-tahini dressing that just might be the best dressing for a vibrant salad.

Ingredients
• 8-oz Hodo Golden Turmeric Lightly Fried Tofu
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup carrots, shredded or ribboned
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4-5 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 avocado, sliced (optional)
• 1/4 cup seeds (pumpkin or sunflower)

Turmeric-Tahini Dressing
• Extra Turmeric Sauce, or 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, turmeric, and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Add water for a thinner dressing as desired.
2. Cube the tofu along its pre-scored lines. For a crispier texture, heat the tofu cubes in a skillet over medium heat or in an air fryer for 3–5 minutes.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine spinach, carrots, cherry tomatoes, and radishes. Add the tofu and avocado slices.
4. Drizzle with the turmeric dressing and sprinkle with seeds. Toss gently and serve immediately.

Mark C. Anderson thinks jump ropes and frisbee are underrated as multi-use travel items. He also serves as EMB’s managing editor. Message him via [email protected].