Koyasan Gomadofu Sesame Tofu Making Class

This cooking class in Koyasan town center is arranged through the Koyasan Tourist Association and is taught by a temple-trained cook versed in shojin ryori, the Buddhist vegetarian cuisine associated with the mountain. The class is held in a workshop kitchen and focuses on a single dish, gomadofu, a sesame tofu made by grinding sesame seeds and combining them with kuzu starch, unique to Koyasan's temple cuisine. Participants prepare the mixture by hand under the instructor's guidance, who also explains the shojin ryori principles behind the dish, including its avoidance of meat, fish, and strong alliums. The class finishes with a tasting of the finished gomadofu served with kuromitsu, a dark sugarcane syrup, providing a mildly sweet counterpoint to the savory preparation process. Included are all ingredients, instruction, and the tasting; transport to Koyasan is not included. Groups are kept small for hands-on space, instruction is in Japanese with some English support, and the format is naturally vegetarian, suiting most dietary needs without special substitution.