Okara, the by-product left over from the tofu production process, is generated at roughly 600,000 tons per year as a soybean by-product. While it is rich in dietary fiber, protein, and minerals and highly nutritious, in reality much of it is discarded because people do not know how to use it at home. Recently, attention to it as an upcycled material has grown, and its use is spreading widely, from home cooking to commercial product development.
This article provides a comprehensive explanation—from the viewpoint of Minoyo, which has handled Kyoto confectionery raw materials for 120 years—covering the basics of okara, its nutritional value, easy recipes you can make at home, traditional dishes such as unohana, storage methods, and its use as a commercial upcycled material. It is structured to be useful in both the context of the home dining table and food manufacturers' product development.
What is okara | Its origin as a by-product of tofu production
Okara is the "pressing residue" that remains after soybeans are pressed when making tofu or soy milk. With its white, fluffy appearance and high nutritional value, it is a by-product ingredient that has long been rooted in Japanese food culture.
How okara is made
Soybeans are soaked in water to soften them, ground in a blender, boiled down, and then pressed through cloth. The liquid that is squeezed out is "soy milk," and what remains in the cloth is "okara." When soy milk is set with a coagulant (such as nigari), it becomes tofu. Okara is an inevitable by-product of tofu and soy milk production, generated at roughly 2 to 3 times the weight of the raw soybeans and about 20 to 30 percent of the weight of the tofu. Across the entire tofu manufacturing industry, the volume generated is enormous.
Why it is called "unohana" and "kirazu"
Okara has the alternative names "unohana" and "kirazu" (written with the characters for snow, flower, and vegetable). Unohana is a name likening it to the white flowers of the deutzia shrub, while kirazu comes from the fact that it "can be eaten without cutting." It is a traditional Japanese ingredient that has been enjoyed at the tables of merchants and common people since the Edo period.
Domestic okara generation and the disposal problem
Domestic okara generation is estimated at roughly 600,000 tons per year. Of that, only a limited amount is used as food, and the majority is processed as animal feed, fertilizer, or waste. It is a prime example of a highly nutritious food that is not fully utilized, and over the past few years it has been increasingly reappraised as an upcycled ingredient.
The nutritional value and health benefits of okara
Okara is a highly nutritious ingredient. Here we organize its representative components and health benefits.
Plenty of dietary fiber
The greatest feature of okara is its dietary fiber content. It contains about 11g per 100g, roughly twice that of burdock root (5.7g) and about ten times that of lettuce (1.1g). It is expected to help on two fronts—regulating the intestines and supporting overall health—through effects such as improving bowel movements, supporting the intestinal environment, and curbing rapid rises in blood sugar. It is also a good ingredient for supplementing dietary fiber even while on a low-carbohydrate diet.
Plant protein and isoflavones
It contains about 6g of soybean-derived plant protein per 100g. It is excellent as an ingredient for those who want to cut back on animal protein and for vegans and vegetarians. It also contains soybean isoflavones, offering functional properties expected to support hormonal balance.
Low in calories and carbohydrates
Okara is low in calories at about 88kcal per 100g and modest in carbohydrates at around 2.3g. It is well suited as a substitute ingredient while dieting, for preventing obesity, and for managing meals for diabetes. Mixing okara into meat dishes such as hamburg steak and tsukune lets you reduce the amount of meat while maintaining a satisfying feel—a "bulking-up effect" that is another reason for its popularity.
Okara recipes you can make at home | Hamburg steak, salad, cake, cookies
Okara can be used widely in home cooking. Here are four types of easy, popular recipes.
Okara hamburg steak | Healthier with less meat
Simply mix ground meat and okara at a 7:3 ratio, then add onion, egg, breadcrumbs, and seasonings. It has about 20 percent fewer calories than an ordinary hamburg steak and gives a fluffy texture that is hard to achieve with meat alone. Adding julienned carrot and potato further improves the nutritional balance. It is an easy recipe—just pan-fry both sides.
Okara salad | A substitute for potato salad
Mix pan-roasted okara with mayonnaise, cucumber, carrot, ham, and boiled egg, and your okara salad is complete. Think of it as replacing the potato in potato salad with okara—the carbohydrate content drops significantly while the dietary fiber increases substantially. It keeps for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator and is handy as a side dish for bento.
Okara cake | In place of wheat flour
Replacing half of the wheat flour in a pound cake with okara makes a moist, healthy cake. Just mix egg, sugar, butter, and milk, add fresh okara, and bake at 170°C for 40 minutes. Replacing the butter and milk with soy milk makes it even healthier. It is popular with dessert lovers who are on a low-carbohydrate diet.
Okara cookies | You can make them with zero wheat flour
Just mix dried okara powder, egg, sugar, and vegetable oil, arrange on a baking sheet, and bake. You can make gluten-free cookies that use no wheat flour at all. Each cookie can be kept to around 1g of carbohydrates, making them popular as a snack for low-carbohydrate diets. You can freely customize them by adding cocoa or chocolate chips.
Use in traditional dishes such as unohana and simmered dishes
Okara is an important ingredient not only in home cooking but also in traditional Japanese cuisine.
Simmered unohana | A representative taste of home cooking
"Unohana no iri-ni"—okara pan-roasted in oil and then simmered with carrot, shiitake, hijiki, aburaage, and green onion in dashi, soy sauce, and mirin—is a staple of Japanese home cooking. It is delicious even when cold and is invaluable as a bento dish or side dish. The ingredients and seasoning differ by region, and it has been handed down as each family's own "taste of home."
"Unohana-zuke," a Kansai regional dish
In the Kansai region, there are also dishes called "unohana-zuke" and "kirazu-yaki," in which white-fleshed fish or chicken is marinated in okara and then steamed and grilled. The flavor of the okara transfers to the fish or meat, giving a moist finish. It is a traditional cooking method passed down at fine restaurants and long-established eateries.
Points for cooking okara dishes
Okara absorbs moisture readily, and depending on the dish, you may need to adjust the amount of moisture. When using fresh okara, lightly pan-roast it to drive off moisture and bring out the flavor. When using dried okara powder, the basic rule is to increase the amount of liquid in the recipe by about 1.5 times. As a guideline, it keeps for 2 to 3 days refrigerated and about one month frozen.
The drawbacks of okara and how to store it
Although okara is highly nutritious, there are points to keep in mind when handling it.
It spoils easily, so be careful with storage
Fresh okara has a high moisture content and keeps only 2 to 3 days even in the refrigerator. It is safest to cook it right after purchase, or to portion it out and freeze it (about one month). Dried okara powder can be stored for six months or more if unopened, so the dried type is better for stocking up.
Eating too much may upset your stomach
Because it is rich in dietary fiber, eating a large amount at once may loosen the stomach. Aim for about 50g per day (fresh okara) and continue at a comfortable pace. Those with weak digestion should start with a small amount and adjust their intake while monitoring how they feel.
Be careful with soy allergies
Since okara is a soybean-derived ingredient, those with a soy allergy should avoid eating it. When cooking for family or guests, it is safest to confirm whether anyone has allergies. When choosing commercially processed foods, always check the ingredient labeling.
Okara as a commercial upcycled material
Beyond home cooking, since the 2020s there have been growing cases of food manufacturers using okara as an upcycled material in product development. The range of applications is expanding to sweets, bread, protein bars, and more.
Food-ingredient applications through drying into powder
"Okara powder," made by drying and grinding fresh okara, is highly storable and has excellent processing suitability, and is adopted in a wide variety of products such as pancake mixes, cookies, granola, and protein bars. The okara pancake mix from Oisix ra daichi's "Upcycle by Oisix" is a representative example.
An ingredient for gluten-free and low-carbohydrate foods
In food development that addresses wheat allergies or appeals to low-carbohydrate needs, okara powder is used as a wheat-flour substitute. Mixing it into gluten-free bread, pasta, and sweets compensates for the texture characteristic of wheat flour while keeping the carbohydrate content down. It is a valuable ingredient in product development for health-conscious brands.
Toward a "food-use cycle" beyond feed and fertilizer
Traditionally, the majority of okara has been processed as feed or fertilizer, but a movement to rediscover its value as food is gaining momentum in earnest. Shifting from "processing it as waste" to "selling it as a product" can simultaneously reduce disposal costs and create new businesses. For more details, see"What Is Food Upcycling?"where we have compiled related examples.
Minoyo's soybean by-product cycle | From soybean coffee grounds to Japanese-style cacao
Minoyo, with 120 years in Kyoto confectionery raw materials, is advancing the upcycling not of okara but of a niche soybean by-product: the roasting grounds from soybean coffee production. The perspective differs, but it points in the same direction of "utilizing waste materials starting from soybeans."
What are the roasting grounds from soybean coffee production
Minoyo'sSoybean Roasteryproduces soybean coffee (a grain coffee made by grinding and extracting roasted soybeans) using domestic soybeans. The roasting grounds that remain after extraction in the production process retain a firm roasted aroma and deep color, and we are advancing efforts to use them as a food ingredient rather than discarding them as "waste material."
The "Japanese-style cacao" project
By applying secondary roasting, particle-size adjustment, and blend design to the soybean coffee roasting grounds, we crafted a cacao substitute material, "Japanese cacao." It is a domestic upcycled material that draws on the roasting techniques we have cultivated over 120 years of making kinako (roasted soybean flour). Available in three forms—powder, flake, and paste—it is used in product development for confectionery, gelato, and drinks.
Sample Consultations and Small-Lot Trial Production
If you are thinking, "I would like to consider upcycling our own by-products" or "I want to incorporate a domestic soybean-based material into product development," you can find out more atContactormaterial downloadcontact us. For our business details, seeOur Business & Why We Are Chosen, and the ordering process is summarized atOrdering Process & How to Orderwhere you can confirm the details.
Frequently asked questions
Q1. Where can I buy okara?
You can buy fresh okara at tofu shops, the tofu section of supermarkets, and natural food stores. At around 100 to 200 yen for 100 to 200g, it is very inexpensive for how nutritious it is. Dried okara powder is available at Amazon, Rakuten, health food stores, KALDI, and elsewhere; it is highly storable and well suited to keeping in stock.
Q2. Can okara be eaten raw?
Because it has gone through the process of boiling soybeans, it is safe to eat. However, fresh okara has a high moisture content and can retain a grassy smell, so the basic approach is to lightly pan-roast it to drive off moisture, or to cook it before eating. Even when using it in salads and the like, we recommend lightly pan-roasting it before adding.
Q3. How much can I eat per day?
About 50g per day (fresh okara) is the guideline. Because it is rich in dietary fiber, eating a large amount at once may loosen the stomach. It is safest to start with a small amount and increase it while monitoring how you feel. For dried okara powder, about 10g per day is the guideline.
Q4. Is it okay to give okara to dogs and cats?
A small amount is fine. It can be mixed into pet food as an ingredient to support the intestinal health of dogs and cats. However, avoid it if they have a soy allergy. The basic approach is to give a small amount of plain okara containing no salt or seasonings; giving too much can cause indigestion.
Q5. Can I consult Minoyo about commercial product development?
Yes, we can help. As a specialized wholesaler with 120 years in Kyoto confectionery raw materials, Minoyo supports the supply of soybean-based upcycled materials (Japanese-style cacao) and the material design for product development. We handle inquiries such as "I want to upcycle our own by-products" and "I want to create a new product with a domestic upcycled material."
Summary | Okara is a soybean by-product active from home to commercial use
Although okara is a by-product of tofu production, it is a highly nutritious ingredient rich in dietary fiber, protein, and soybean isoflavones. In home cooking it can be used in a diverse range of recipes such as hamburg steak, salad, cake, cookies, and simmered unohana, and in commercial use, its productization as an ingredient for gluten-free foods and protein bars is advancing.
Minoyo, with 120 years in Kyoto confectionery raw materials, is upcycling a soybean by-product different from okara (soybean coffee roasting grounds) as "Japanese cacao." If you are considering "utilizing by-products starting from soybeans,"Contactormaterial download.
References and sources
- Food composition database:Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, "Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan"
- Okara utilization and food upcycling examples:losszero, "The disposal volume and utilization methods of okara, a by-product of tofu"
- Food upcycling and domestic examples:Minoyo Blog: "What Is Food Upcycling?"
- Cacao alternatives:Minoyo Blog: "A Thorough Comparison of Cacao Alternatives"
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