Kazuko Uezu, age 65, makes tofu before dawn in her small shop in the village of Hedo. Despite 50 years of practice "every batch tastes slightly different" says Kazuko who rises at 4-am seven days a week to make tofu. Traditional methods and a small production produces subtle variations in every batch despite the fact that tofu has only two ingredients, salt water and soy beans. Kazuko get the salt water from the East China Sea (just down the road from her house) but the soybeans come from America. Okinawan centenarians eat tofu daily and it is believed the high flavanoid content in tofu contributes to their longevity. Flavanoids are known to fight breast and prostate cancer and believed to combat heart disease.

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