Jeff Wolovitz started Heiwa Tofu with his wife, Maho Hisakawa, almost two years ago. Since then, the Camden-based company has produced and distributed thousands of pounds of tofu.

Wolovitz makes tofu two days a week in a small garage in downtown Camden, transforming Maine soybeans into thick slabs of tofu.

Additional Photos

Jeff Wolovitz pours soybeans into a grinder. He soaks the soybeans overnight the day before he makes tofu. The soaked soybeans are then ground up into a puree and heated with water.
Jeff Wolovitz pours soybeans into a grinder. He soaks the soybeans overnight the day before he makes tofu. The soaked soybeans are then ground up into a puree and heated with water. Photos and text by Kat Franchino/Staff Photographer
Jeff Wolovitz stirs calcium sulfate into soymilk to make curds and whey. Wolovitz and his wife, Maho Hisakawa, operate a small tofu company, Heiwa Tofu, out of a garage in Camden.
Jeff Wolovitz stirs calcium sulfate into soymilk to make curds and whey. Wolovitz and his wife, Maho Hisakawa, operate a small tofu company, Heiwa Tofu, out of a garage in Camden.
Ina, 5, daughter of Wolovitz and Hisakawa, displays her okara "pancake." Okara is the fiber left over from the curd pressing process.
Ina, 5, daughter of Wolovitz and Hisakawa, displays her okara "pancake." Okara is the fiber left over from the curd pressing process.
Maho Hisakawa removes a finished tofu block from the cooling tank. Heiwa Tofu can make nearly 1,000 pounds of tofu a week. The tofu is distributed in Maine and surrounding areas.
Maho Hisakawa removes a finished tofu block from the cooling tank. Heiwa Tofu can make nearly 1,000 pounds of tofu a week. The tofu is distributed in Maine and surrounding areas.

While Wolovitz and his family are not vegetarians, they strive to eat mostly plant-based food.

They chose the name “heiwa,” which means “peace” in Japanese, because “eating a plant-based diet creates a more peaceful planet,” according to their website (www.heiwatofu.com).

 

 

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