**Tahoooo! **Every morning this is the word that you usually hear in the Philippines. It'ke an alarm clock for every Filipino children to wake up at sip a hot and fresh taho.
Me as a child, taho is part of my daily morning breakfast. Until I grow up, I miss the taste and smell of arnibal or a milted brown sugar in silken tofu.
Taho is a classic sweet treat in the Philippines that surely every generations will love. But what is the history about it? Let's find out!
This type of informal economy has been around for generations, but the product has remained the same. Taho is the Filipino version of soybean pudding, which has been around for millennia.
The word taho is derived from the Chinese word for the soft soybean pudding douhua. Taho originated in China in the time of the Han Dynasty (206 to 220 A.D.).
According to legend, it was accidentally discovered by a cook whose original intent was to make soy milk. But he added impure salt to the concoction. The salt’s high-calcium content curdled the soup, producing a soft, silky substance we now know as taho. Mixed with almond syrup and beans, the douhua became popular in China.
Taho eventually found its way to the Philippines by way of cultural and economic ties with the Chinese for thousands of years. Instead of using almonds for the syrup, locals used sugar, which resulted in a stronger and sweeter syrup.Taho eventually found its way to the Philippines by way of cultural and economic ties with the Chinese for thousands of years. Instead of using almonds for the syrup, locals used sugar, which resulted in a stronger and sweeter syrup. Not just in the Philippines, other countries also has similar treats which are Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, among other countries, where its name took different forms with varying similarities.
Move forward, today, taho is a popular street food in the Philippines. It is peddled in villages, thoroughfares, and business districts in the city. It is a power-up snack for workers who left home without taking breakfast. Aside from traditional sugar syrup other flavor emerge such as strawberry taho which originated from Baguio City, and sometimes mango taho.
It's true, it's been a long journey for taho, from China to Philippines and to become a popular street food in the country. That's why if you want to visit the Philippines, why not try our delicious treats.