When everybody was bored when the pandemic started, I was craving Taho (Silken Tofu with Pearls and Syrup). It was one of my favorite Filipino treats.
Taho used to be widely available on the streets, thanks to the street vendors but when the pandemic started, it became limited.
With that, I searched several recipes on YouTube on how to make Taho. Most of the tutorials require enormous machinery to create the taho that the street vendors are selling.
However, I simply want taho for me and my family. So, I tried numerous recipes I found online. Some Asian people used gelatin or Jell-O as one of the main ingredients of the Taho but others used some powders I’m not familiar with.
None of those recipes worked for me. For me, it seemed like trial and error.
After several failed attempts and wasted ingredients, this recipe is what made it work:
Ingredients:
For the silken tofu:
- 3 cups of Soybeans
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon gypsum (calcium sulfate)
For the arnibal (syrup):
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
For the pearls:
- Sago
- Boba Tapioca pearls
Procedure:
For the silken tofu:
(1) Soak the 3 cups of Soybeans for 8 to 10 hours. This will make it easier to blend to make soy milk. The beans will expand and shed their bean skin when they are fully hydrated. Discard the water used for soaking, then wash the expanded beans.
(2) Prepare the blender. 5 cups of water should be added to every cup of soybeans. Therefore, if we have 3 cups of soybeans, we need 15 cups of water. I divided it into three parts because it wouldn’t fit our blender all at once.
(3) It would be difficult to filter the beans if they’re broken down into tiny pieces so be careful. Once soy milk is made, it’s time to filter. Use a fine mesh sieve for straining or a cheesecloth. I bought mine on shopee. Make sure not to include any soybean pulp in your milk.
(4) After straining the raw soy milk, transfer it to a pot and cook it for an hour or two, until you can already smell the silken tofu. Make sure it boils.
(5) While cooking the raw soy milk, mix ¼ cup of water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and ½ teaspoon gypsum( calcium sulfate).
(6) Allow the soy milk to simmer for a while then transfer it to a container, together with the gypsum mixture. Don’t mix then though. Then, cover it.
For the arnibal (syrup):
- Boil water and brown sugar together.
- Dissolve the sugar.
- Add the vanilla extract.
- Then let it cool.
For the tapioca:
We usually buy the prepared sago from the market. We only cook the boba tapioca pearls. I bought a pack from shopee but it’s available in the supermarkets as well.
- Boil 5 cups of water then add the tapioca pearls.
- Stir it from time to time to prevent it from sticking together.
- I usually add a tablespoon of sugar so it would taste sweet as is.
- Boil it for almost an hour.
- If the tapioca pearls doubled their size, taste it to ensure that the pearls are soft and properly cooked. If not, let it simmer until it’s soft enough.
How to assemble Taho:
- Use a shallow ladle to scoop the silken tofu.
- Drizzle a few spoonfuls of arnibal over the silken tofu.
- Add some tapioca pearls or sago.
- Repeat the layering until your container is full.
- To make it special, add some condense milk.
- Enjoy!
This taught me to persevere in facing failures. My competitive self refused to stop in the middle of nowhere. I’m glad I pushed it through until I finally got the perfect recipe. I have been selling my homemade taho here in Metro Manila since August 2020.
Let me know if you’re making one using my recipe. I hope you like it! 💖
📸All images are mine unless stated otherwise