Friday, June 5, 2009

Hudson Valley Tofu Hippie

In the best way possible!

wintergreens' fresh, organic, bulk tofu supplier is 82 year old Sam Weinreb of Local Tofu in Nyack. He was born in Brooklyn, and has had nine lives, as a soldier, an actor, a dancer, and a printmaker. After he was fired from Parsons for organizing a faculty union, he left the city and started making tofu in 1980.
Back in my Brooklyn days, he used to deliver buckets of tofu in his hatchback to the neighborhood vegetarian restaurant. He personally delivered all up and down the Hudson Valley and all over the city.
Sam's tofu is my favorite of all I've tasted. Some people just want their tofu to be a carrier of other flavors, but I love its flavor, and the beanier the better. This tofu tastes great plain and cold, with nothing on it.
You can learn to make tofu from Sam at this years' NY Green Fest in Alfred, where he'll be giving his "Zen and the Art of Tofu Making" workshop. Or, you can hear him read his poetry for Poets Against the War, at the Nyack Center monthly.

4 comments:

  1. WHAT WHAT??? WOWZERS! Do you have his contact info? I'm all over this!!!

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  2. Yup, I'll email you. PR for Sam is becoming my new part time job, apparently, since nobody can find him and everybody can find me.

    I just met a woman this weekend who remembers Sam delivering tofu to early eighties Beacon food co-op. It's the real deal. If only the co-op still existed....

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  3. I first met Sam when we were both printmaking at the Rockland Center. Is he still involved in the LocalTofu operation? Why don't we see this product in our LOCAL health food stores?? Where is the production site? Still in Nyack? I'm interested in obtaining YUBA (tofu skin) a delicious noodle like by-product of tofu making.
    Isabella

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  4. Hi Isabella,

    Sam is still involved on a daily basis. The business is now run out of Nyack and Newark. Hand delivery direct from LT has been cut back some, but some big health food store distributors carry it now. Ask at your health food store--they can likely get it. I don't know if they're selling Yuba, but I forwarded your message to Sam. Is there a way he can reach you?

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