Taho is a type of snack in the Philippines. It has a pudding-like texture. The toppings include a sweet brown syrup called arnibal, and sago pearls. You will often see hawkers early in the morning selling taho on the streets.
I love having taho for breakfast. When we are in Manila, we make sure to wake-up early to be able to purchase some from the “magtataho”. This is something that cannot be bought in the states, so I make one for myself and my family. The recipe below shows you how I do it. It is easier than you think.
What is Taho Made of?
The white pudding part of taho is actually tofu. It is called soft silken tofu because of its soft texture and shiny appearance. It had to be made from scratch by the magtataho in the Philippines using soy beans. It can also be bought from the supermarket in its finished form.
The brown syrup or arinibal is made of brown sugar and water. Vanilla extract can also be added to the syrup for best results.
Sago pearls comes in different sizes. My recollection of taho when I was a child is the same as the ones sold at present, except that the sago pearls are larger. These days I see that taho comes with small sago. These are the same ones that I used in my sago and gulaman recipe.
How to Make Taho at Home
Making taho in the comfort of your home is easy, at least for the pudding part. Simply purchase soft silken tofu from the supermarket and you are halfway done.
The next steps are to make the syrup and cook sago. Making the brown arnibal is just like making a simple syrup. Combine 1 part of water to 2 parts brown sugar. Let it boil and stir until well blended. You may also add vanilla extract if desired.
The last step is to assemble everything together. Put some soft silken tofu on a mug. Microwave for a minute. Top with arnibal and sago pearls.
Cooking Sago
Large sago pearls takes awhile to cook completely. I do it by boiling the sago in water for 30 minutes. Add sugar and continue to boil for another 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked all throughout.
It is best to let the pearls soak in water for a few hours or overnight. Smaller sago pearls are the opposite. These cook quicker. The key when cooking small sago has something to do with the temperature of the water. Always make sure that the water is rapidly boiling before adding these. Otherwise, the small pearls will just get diluted in water.
I published a recipe that details the steps on how to cook sago. Check it here.
Is Taho a Good Source of Protein?
The tofu in taho is high in protein. 3 ounces of it contains 5 grams of protein. It also has other nutrients.
The tofu contains essential amino acids, and a good source of calcium and iron. This article details the health benefits of taho.
Try this Taho Recipe. Let me know what you think.
Homemade Taho
Ingredients
- 22 ounces soft silken tofu
- 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sago pearls uncooked
- 4 1/2 cups water
Instructions
- Pour 4 cups of water in a cooking pot and bring to a boil.
- Put-in the tapioca pearls and cook for 40 minutes in medium heat.
- Add 1/4 cup brown sugar and mix well.
- Turn off the heat and let the sago pearls sit on the cooking pot until room temperature is achieved. Set aside.
- Heat a saucepan then pour-in 1/2 cup of water.
- Put-in 1 cup of brown sugar once the water starts to boil. Mix well and simmer until the mixture becomes thick. Set aside.
- Transfer the extra soft tofu in a glass or mug then heat in a microwave oven for a minute.
- Top the extra soft tofu with the cooked tapioca pearls and sweet syrup.
- Serve warm. Share and Enjoy
Kaly says
I can’t find soft silken tofu, only soft tofu in the stores near me. Will this work? Thank you 🙂
Kez says
The recipe made making taho so easy! This was really delicious. I saw a website copied this too without giving credit, just fyi. If you want to check it out its balay.ph
Vanjo Merano says
Hi Kez, thanks for the feedback. I’m glad that you liked it. Thanks also for letting me know about the copyright issue. Will act on it.