Press the tofu using weights or a TofuXpress for 1-2 hours. Dry with a towel and cut in half crosswise so you have two cubes.

I used two blocks of tofu and doubled the recipe for the marinade, as I wanted to have multiple flavors at the end of two months. Do not omit or substitute anything from the marinade, or use other types of miso. Do not substitute mirin for the sake. The people who shared this method with me spent two years perfecting this recipe. Trust them.

Wrap the pressed, dry tofu in two layers of the cheesecloth so it's a neat package. Two-three layer of cheesecloth, not too much on the ends.

Mix the remaining ingredients together until smooth. If you are making several flavors, divide the marinade into separate bowls and add the seasoning, mix it in well.

If you are using a seaweed sheet, wrap the tofu block in seaweed before smearing it with marinade. If you are using tea or red pepper flakes, combine the dry tea or flakes with the marinade. Smear the marinade evenly on all sides, on top of the cheesecloth or nori.

Line a lidded storage container with 2-3 layers of paper towels, place the tofu blocks on top of the towels, cover and refrigerate.

Check the paper towels every week. When they are wet, change them to dry towels. I loosened the lid, then flipped the entire container upside-down, allowing me to easily remove the paper towels. The marinade thickens over time and doesn't stick to the paper towels. I wiped out the container as well. You want to remove the moisture so you don't grow mold. According to Dang and Oanh from Rau Om, the paper towels will become really wet, yet the tofu will not be any dryer because enzymes in the miso are breaking down the soy proteins and generating water. Chemistry!

After two months, unwrap your "cheese" completely, composting the cheesecloth and/or nori and the miso paste. Store wrapped in waxed paper in the refrigerator in a clean lidded container. Change the waxed paper if it gets too wet. (Or, you can unwrap a corner of the cheese and keep it in the cheesecloth, just removing a portion at a time and re-wrapping it.)