Our Story

ISLAND SPRING’S ORIGINS

Founder Luke Lukoskie tells the story of how he fell in love with tofu and how Island Spring Organics came to be.

 
 

Back then most Americans had no idea how to cook or eat tofu.  In the West, tofu was almost exclusively one disguised ingredient in a complex, prepared dish in a restaurant. I started Island Spring Organics to bring tofu to all through Seattle’s natural and health food shops, then supermarkets, restaurants, and cafeterias.

Sales were slow in the beginning. So, being cheerleaders, in 1978 we released the small cookbook Tofu Madness. It quickly sold 38,000 copies. The rest is history!

I lived with six others, grad students and teachers, near the University of Washington in the late 1960’s. We were macrobiotic vegans (hippies!) looking for healthy protein. With them, I learned to love tofu: the beginning of the road that took me to the Tofu Strips we make today.

In those days one could get tofu canned, or fresh in Seattle’s International District from local Chinese and Japanese makers working in “one-man” shops.  There they would hand-scoop Tofu blocks from concrete cooling baths and place them in a take-out container.

 
 

The original Team Tofu

Come tour the factory!

We produce nearly 7000lbs of tofu daily at our tofu plant. We love to share our work and process with our customers. Come take a tour today!

We hold tours M-F 8:00am–5:00pm, and welcome groups up to 20 people.

Schedule a Tour

The Book That Started It All

 

TOFU MADNESS, 4th Edition

Download a FREE digital copy of Tofu Madness!

FAQs

Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? We’re always happy to share advice, information and our love of tofu!

  • Tofu is made from whole dried soybeans, water, and coagulants — in our case magnesium chloride (an extract of sea water), and calcium sulfate (mined from deep mines in the U.S). The certified organic soybeans are soaked in pure water for 16 hours and then ground. The resulting slurry is cooked at high temperatures, and then the pure soymilk is extracted. Coagulants are added to the hot soymilk and tofu curds begin to form. Once fully formed, the resulting curds are pressed, cut, packaged and quickly cooled to maintain freshness. Our tofu is made to order, and then delivered to our distributors on our own temperature controlled delivery truck.

  • Tofu is very sensitive to temperature and should always be held at 38 degrees or less. Once opened, we recommend keeping your tofu in an airtight container with fresh water. Exchanging the water daily will help maintain freshness. Opened tofu should be used within the week.

  • You can! Freezing tofu will give it a completely different texture than fresh tofu, many people compare it to a more “meaty” texture. After freezing your tofu allow it to thaw and then squeeze the water out of the block of tofu. You will notice that the structure of the tofu has changed and that it has a little more spring to it. Try crumbling thawed tofu into your next scramble or use for tacos — you won’t believe how good it is!

  • There are lots of conflicting reports about the benefits of consuming soy. Clinical studies have shown that eating soy can lower cholesterol and the risk of certain types of breast and prostate cancer. Concerns about too much soy and possible effects on hormone levels are generally referring to highly processed soy that is used as a filler ingredient in other highly processed foods. Island Spring Organics tofu is a minimally processed, organic, non-gmo whole food. We believe the key is in moderation — eat healthy amounts of good food and your body will thank you!

  • The Chinese characters on our packaging translate to “Good Health Comes to Those Who Eat Tofu in the Springtime.”