Taho
While a lot of Filipinos would say, that they grew up eating taho especially as mid-morning snacks, and that they have lots of fond memories waiting for the taho peddler to pass by while shouting, "Tahoooooo!", I cannot say the same for myself.
I only started to eat taho when I became an adult. The food did not appeal to me visually, and I was adamant that I did not want to eat it.
Taho is a very famous Filipino Food made of soybean curd, syrup and tapioca pearls. It is normally eaten as a mid-morning snack, probably because the peddler comes by every morning, but it can of course be eaten during any part of the day.
I remember my mother try to persuade me to eat taho, saying that it is very nutritious. Taho is high in calcium, iron and protein. It also contains isoflavones that can help reduce the risk of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. [1]
On our last vacation in the Philippines, taho had become our regular morning snack. My kids would run back in the house to get their cups, whenever they hear the taho peddler call out from the street.
It's been over a year since our last vacation in the Philippines, and taho just keeps on popping in my head. Hmmm, should I try to make my own taho?
Recreating Taho at Home
Living the in the UAE, we seldom have access to this yummy (people can chance their opinion, you know!) treat. That is why I decided to try to make it on my own.
Main Ingredients:
- Silken Tofu
Instead of making soybean curds from scratch, we can also get soft, silken tofu which can be found in many Asian Food Stores.
Taho is preferred to be eaten warm by many, so you can pop this block of Tofu in the microwave for 2 minutes to heat it.
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2- Tapioca Pearls
Tapioca pearls/boba are small spheres made of cassava starch. They come in different sizes and are added to the taho to give a chewy texture to the food.
To cook these pearls, just add them to a pot of boiling water and keep boiling until they become translucent or when you no longer see white spots at the center. Remember to stir occasionally to avoid them from sticking together, and add more water when necessary.
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3- Syrup
Since both the tofu and tapioca pearls are almost tasteless, we add syrup for sweetness. There are now some variations of taho where they add different flavors to the syrup, like for example, strawberry.
To make they syrup, dissolve 5 tablespoons of brown sugar in 1 cup of water. Let it boil over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until it reduces into a thick syrup.
Time to assemble our taho.
Get thin scoops of the Tofu and put in a glass/cup. Add the desired amount of tapioca pearls, and lather with syrup.
Mix and enjoy!
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