The art of making tofu

Naim operates a shed adjacent to his home, where he and his two assistants craft tofu.

Fresh soybeans undergo a quick rinse before being fed into a machine; a nightly quota of 120kg of soybeans is processed.

One of Naim's assistants, 59-year-old Rahmat, empties the soybeans into buckets.

Rahmat pours the soybeans into the machine, mixing them with hot water.

He stirs the processed soybeans and removes any bubbles to prevent spoilage.

Once the soybean mixture is prepared, it is poured onto a plywood mould lined with gauze cloth.

As soon as the tofu is ready, Naim commences the cutting process.

He skillfully wields a knife to slice the tofu.

Naim carefully arranges the tofu in a container.

The tofu is meticulously arranged in a water-immersed container to maintain its shape.

These containers are specifically marked and used by Naim for his tofu production.

A customer's tofu order is documented on a sheet of paper.

Naim warmly serves a customer who purchases tofu from his factory, pricing each piece at 25 sen.

At his modestly-sized factory, Naim produces between 4,000 and 5,000 pieces of tofu every night.