Natural Products Expo West: In the House with House Foods

I did not know House Foods—the company that makes the packaged tofu that you all know and love—owns Curry House restaurants. House Foods America Corporation (HFAC) is a fully-owned subsidiary of the House Foods Corporation (HFC), one of Japan’s oldest and largest food manufacturers. Established in 1913 in Osaka, HFC is renowned for its curry brands as well as a line of spice products. The American branch has been in Los Angeles since 1981. Now with two manufacturing plants in Garden Grove, CA and Somerset, New Jersey, HFAC makes 350,000 pieces of tofu each day.

House Foods has a licensing partnership with Duraemon with the tyke appearing on the packages. They’re limited editions, so to speak, as House Foods does partner with a wide variety of movie and TV properties.

There was a free for all at the House Foods booth at the end of Natural Products Expo West. A woman in a motorized scooter pretty much parked there and loaded up her vehicle. Luckily I was able to get some Tofu Sausage which is so good. Zesty with a nice kick, it worked well with rice, between two slices of bread, or as a meat substitute in your favorite dishes.

I also picked up one of the products House Foods in focusing on, their Tofu Shirataki noodle, which is made from puréed tofu and a root of Konjac, a member of Asian yam family. Vegan, low in calories and carbs, their Shirataki noodles comes in Angel Hair, Spaghetti, and Fettuccine.

Now it is different to cook with than pasta. You do have to rinse the noodles thoroughly because there’s a pungent odor that does rinse off. For the Angel Hair, you’ll really need a strainer or colander with very small holes. Cooking with the noodles takes some practice, but if you know what you’re doing, you’ll have a great meal.

House Foods is a mainstay. Their line includes staples such as their Premium Tofu, Organic Tofu, and Tofu Steak. The majority of their products are gluten-free. My home would be a home without House Foods.