Homemade Silky Tofu For Taho

The Korean grocery store stopped selling pudding-like super soft silky tofu to make into sweet Filipino taho. I never thought of making my own taho from soy milk until I sprouted soy beans, the result of which I didn't like at all. I didn't know what to do with the dried beans and decided to make it into bean curd. Searching for recipes, I found lots for making taho just like the ones sold by ambulant peddlers in the Philippines, at the wet markets in Hong Kong, and in Dim Sum restaurants. 

It is not too complicated but it needs the correct coagulant for a silky smooth taho that is almost like almond gelatin. I used GDL coagulant that I found at Amazon. My first try in making it is a success. I made the soymilk which takes just 1 day or in my case, 4 days because I sprouted the beans first. The result is super silky soft taho exactly like the ones in restaurants and from peddlers. There is no hint of acidic flavor as others have described. I find the result superior to the store-bought tofu. I also recommend making your own soymilk instead of using store-bought because there may be added ingredients in ready made soymilk like sugar and thickener.  

GDL coagulant makes the softest smoothest silken tofu pudding taho. For firm tofu, use magnesium chloride (nigari) or calcium sulfate (food grade gypsum). These coagulants won't make tofu that is smooth and soft as the ones made with GDL.

Read more »

Tahoooo!

I miss the voice of magtataho summoning kids and adults alike to his taho, the custard-like shaven silken tofu with brown sugar syrup and chewy sago pearls. In the Philippines taho is eaten as breakfast, snack, or dessert. I remember my son, armed with a large glass tumbler, used to wait for the lilting voice of the magtataho yelling tahooo, tahooo!

Here in the US we usually have taho as a dessert in Chinese dimsum restaurants where it is served with warm ginger flavored white syrup. Very yummy too.

It is easy to prepare taho at home. Get the softest silken tofu available, I prefer the ones in tubes from the Korean grocery. Cook large-size Philippine tapioca pearls (sago), then boil equal amounts of brown sugar and water for 10 minutes. Shave the tofu using a spoon into a tumbler, add sago, pour the still warm syrup and enjoy taho any time of the day.

To cook sago: In a medium saucepan, heat 4 cups of water, bring to a rapid boil. Add ½ cup uncooked sago pearls, lower heat to medium-high and boil uncovered until the middle portion of the sago is almost clear. Drain and transfer into a bowl with cool water. The sago will turn transparent all throughout in a few minutes, they will be chewy just the way I like them.

To cook ginger-flavored syrup: Boil uncovered for 15 minutes equal amounts of water and white sugar with a quarter-inch thick slice of peeled fresh ginger.