Taho

 

Growing up in the Philippines, one of the most ubiquitous sounds we would hear was the neighbourhood magtataho (taho vendor) selling his wares: Tahoooooooo! When we were still very little, it was kinda like magic: we would hear the word being called out in the streets, and next thing you knew you were holding a warm plastic cup of the stuff. It didn't use to come with any spoons, so we'd just drink it straight from the cup. I loved how pleasantly hot and sweet it always was! My favourite part was finding and chewing on the sago :)

As we grew older, my parents started letting us go out to the street to purchase the taho—either accompanying our katulong (househelp) or buying the taho ourselves. Watching the magtataho go through the entire process of assembling the treat both mesmerized me (because it was so cool and deliberate) and tested my patience (because there were so many steps)! So first I have to explain: any magtataho carries his wares in two large metal buckets connected by a long, sturdy wooden rod, which is used for carrying. One of the buckets contains the silken tofu (taho), and the other is divided in half and contains the sago and the arnibal (syrup). First, he would use a large flat ladle to scoop water off of the taho, and throw it away by flinging it onto the roadside (LOL). He would use the same ladle to scoop sheets of taho into a plastic cup. Then, using a very long and small ladle usually hung onto the side of the other bucket, he would scoop some arnibal onto the taho in the cup. Lastly, he would scoop some sago and kind of push it into the rest of the drink, ensuring equal distribution of ingredients. And then he would hand it to you in exchange for maybe 5 pesos (maybe around 25 US cents at the time).

Agh, we really had it good back in the day :')

Fresh taho is one of the things I really missed after moving to Canada. Whenever we'd go back to the Philippines, I'd always try to have at least one taho before leaving, but lately it doesn't taste as good as it used to (not to mention it's kinda expensive now... like I think last time at Luneta it was 40 pesos for one?? ok granted it's a tourist spot). Because taho is only ever really sold by magtataho in the Philippines (plus some grocery stores that carry packaged taho, but those are absolutely inferior in quality lol), it never occurred to me that I could make taho at home.

... until now >:D

I served this to my parents and my older brother, and my dad claimed that it tasted like the real deal :') This arnibal is much, much closer to the taho of our childhood than that one from Luneta lol—maybe it's the vanilla, who knows.

In any case, an important note to remember is that it's best eaten hot; if it gets cool, warm it up in the microwave for best results! :D

Ingredients:

• 1 block (454 g/16 oz) silken tofu
• Sago
• 1 cup medium sago pearls, or 1/2 cup large white tapioca pearls
• 8-10 cups water
• Arnibal (syrup)
• 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Boil 8-10 cups of water. When the water is at a rolling boil, add the sago/tapioca pearls. Turn down the heat to medium, and boil uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 30 more minutes. Drain in a colander, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Inspect for chewiness—if the pearls are still too hard, repeat the 30-boil-30-sit process.
2. Meanwhile, place the tofu in a parchment-lined steamer and steam for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Alternatively, microwave for 2-5 minutes.
3. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, water and vanilla. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2-4 minutes.
4. Layer the taho in a glass: tofu, arnibal, pearls (traditionally mixed in with a long ladle).
5. Enjoy! :)

(tapioca pearl cooking recipe from Hungry Huy)

(taho recipe from Kitchen Confidante)