Taho

Ingredients

Tofu

• 1 kgsilken tofu, or freshly made soft bean curd

Arnibal

• 300 gbrown sugar or muscovado
• 250 mlwater
• 1strip pandan leaf, or a piece of vanilla
• a squeeze of lime, optional

Sago

• 150 gsmall tapioca pearls, sago
• 1.5 litreswater

Equipment

• a wide shallow spoon for scooping
• tall plastic cups

To serve

• warm, in the morning

Directions

1. Use the softest silken tofu you can find, or freshly made bean curd if you have a source. Firm tofu is completely wrong here.
2. Scoop it in wide thin shavings with a flat spoon, sliding across the surface. Warm the tofu gently before serving, in a steamer or by standing the container in hot water. Warm it through rather than heating it hard, which makes it weep and go grainy. It should be pleasantly warm, not hot.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil first, then add the pearls. Add them to already-boiling water and stir immediately. Use far more water than seems necessary, at least ten times the volume of the pearls.
4. Boil them for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. They are done when they are completely translucent with no white dot left in the centre.
5. Drain and rinse them in cold water to stop the cooking and wash off surface starch. Keep them in a little syrup or water so they do not stick together.
6. Bring it to a simmer and cook it for 10 to 15 minutes until it thickens slightly. Do not reduce it too far. Keep the arnibal syrup warm until serving. Scoop several thin layers of warm tofu into a tall cup, filling it most of the way.
7. Spoon the sago pearls over the top. Pour the warm arnibal over everything. Serve it immediately, with a spoon, while it is still warm.

Technique

• Magbabaho, the taho vendors, carry it in aluminium buckets on a pole.
• It is a morning food and vendors stop selling by late morning.
• Chinese douhua is the direct ancestor.

Substitutions

• Any silken or soft tofu, the softer the better.
• Palm sugar in place of brown sugar.

Variations

• With pandan-scented syrup.
• Served cold, which some shops now do.
• With flavoured syrups, in the modern style.

History

Warm silken tofu with arnibal syrup and tapioca pearls, sold by roving vendors calling out at dawn; descended from Chinese douhua.

Frequently asked questions

What is Taho?

Taho is a street food from Philippines: warm silken tofu with arnibal syrup and sago, hawked mornings. Warm silken tofu with arnibal syrup and tapioca pearls, sold by roving vendors calling out at dawn; descended from Chinese douhua.

How long does Taho take to make?

Taho takes 20 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Taho?

Yes, within limits. Any silken or soft tofu, the softer the better. Palm sugar in place of brown sugar.

What is the most important thing to get right in Taho?

Scoop it in wide thin shavings with a flat spoon, sliding across the surface. Warm the tofu gently before serving, in a steamer or by standing the container in hot water. Warm it through rather than heating it hard, which makes it weep and go grainy. It should be pleasantly warm, not hot.