It is said that a Buddhist priest from Kyoto taught a tofu store in Sakata City how to make Nanzenji tofu, and then Nanzenji tofu became widely known in Shonai Region.
庄内地方の南禅寺豆腐は、京都のお坊さんが酒田市の豆腐屋に作り方を伝授した説がある。