Mio Ikeda stumbled across a future hit product when she discovered “firm tofu” at U.S. supermarkets in 2018 soon after she joined tofu maker Asahico as the company’s marketing chief.
She learned that American consumers grill the bean curd in barbecue sauce like steak and deep-fry it like chicken nuggets.
The U.S. inspection tour inspired Ikeda to develop the Tofu Bar, a solid and flavored tofu snack, which people can hold and munch without a plate.
“I decided to make it myself if it was unavailable,” said Ikeda, 52, president of Asahico. “The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to eat it.”
The unconventional tofu product, which hit convenience stores in Japan in November 2020, became a smash hit, selling 84 million pieces through February.
Health-conscious young people have snapped up the Tofu Bar, which is high in protein and low in calories and cholesterol.
Ikeda was promoted to company president in 2023, when Asahico posted record sales.
A native of Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, Ikeda learned the importance of developing something new to eat from her father, an automotive engineer.
An aspiring cook, he was adept at creating original dishes by improvising on ingredients and cooking methods.
“We can break through the limits of food by thinking outside the box. We can make a flavor we want if it is unavailable,” Ikeda said. “That is what my palate was taught from my childhood.”
The Tofu Bar is not her first hit food product.
She joined a food company in 1997 after graduating from the Tokyo University of Agriculture.
Her first assignment was to develop a new cough drop.
Throat lozenges were mostly bitter at the time, but she wanted something milder and sweeter.
A product she developed, now known as “Xylicrystal Milk Mint Candy,” became a best-seller thanks to its pleasant flavor.
However, Ikeda lost interest in the work after being transferred from product development and left the company when she was 39.
She changed jobs several times before finally joining Asahico.
Ikeda sees potential in overseas markets for the company’s tofu products.
The world population is projected to reach 10 billion in the 2050s, raising fears of a shortage of animal protein.
“We can freely season tofu, which is made from soybeans, to the taste of each country, regardless of religion or dietary habit,” Ikeda said. “Tofu can save the world in the near future.”
She also sets her sights on space, where protein intake is essential to maintain muscle strength.
Last year, Asahico provided the Tofu Bar for a space-themed party at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo as part of the company’s efforts to introduce it as a space food for astronauts.
