Taho and Berries

Taho made with silk tofu, tapioca and berries

Taho is a breakfast dish (or drink) that combines silk tofu, tapioca pearls and caramel syrup. My version gives it a little twist by replacing the caramel syrup with either grape syrup (vegan version) or honey, which is readily available from the supermarket. I also add some berries to make it healthier!

The silohuette of the Taho Man

Taho is a reminder of days gone by in Manila when the city was much smaller and more quiet. There were no sky scrapers nor heavy traffic, the streets were less crowded and more green. A Taho vendor would walk by each morning around the neighbourhood carrying two heavy tin pails hanging at opposite ends of a thick wooden stick on his shoulders loudly declaring his arrival by saying “Tahooo……Tahooo…” endlessly until he stops to serve a customer. I would be one of them waiting for him. I was only about four but I remember clearly that I had to go directly out to the street with my mug and wait for the Taho man to pass by. I would wait patiently, watching the streets until seven am when he would arrive by our gate. He knew me already since I was a frequent customer and I always asked for an extra serving of caramel. As soon as he saw me, he would come to our gate and put down the heavy pails and open them and take my mug. Using a wide metal spoon, he’d slice some silk tofu thinly and put it in my mug. Then he’d add about two teaspoons of tapioca peals and two teaspoons of caramel syrup. Then I’d give him a coin from my pocket and he’d smile and tell me he will come by again the next day. He’d then carry his pail, continue walking and calling ‘Tahooooo…Tahoooo’ while I walked back to our house to enjoy my warm breakfast.

Some decades have passed since then and I myself have walked around this earth in many neighbourhoods. I don’t live in Manila anymore and each time I visit the city of my childhood, I feel as if those little streets from my memory have faded away just as the Taho man did. With countless skyscrapers, pollution and heavy traffic, it seems like there is no place for breakfast vendors like him. When I found one, he was standing beside a skyscraper, surrounded by people. He didn’t need to walk around since people would go to him. Besides, a skyscraper has a population amounting to our entire neighbourhood back in San Dejas street. I bought a plastic cup worth of taho and started to sip it from the straw he gave me. It tasted similar but it was slightly different. The caramel syrup was not as dark and it was cold perhaps reflecting the changes in Manila.

Silk tofu was not readily available in the local shops where I live in Germany but once I saw it on the shelf, I only had one thought in mind: Taho! I use the silk tofu (Seidentofu in German) from an organic store called Alnatura since those from the Asian shops have a distinct smell, almost like that of raw egg. The silk tofu (Seidentofu) from the organic shop smells neutral and more ideal for taho. I decided to use grape syrup or honey since it was difficult to get hold of caramel syrup. Plus honey has a lot of health benefits and when you add berries into the mix, the Taho is transformed into a deliciously healthy treat! You can get the tapioca pearls from an Asian shop and here’s what it looks like:

The small tapioca pearls are easier to cook.

It is a breakfast alternative to the Berry Nutty Breakfast and the Aviva Müsli but you can have it as a snack. It is very easy to prepare. Here’s the recipe for two portions. Of course, feel free to add more or less of the ingredients listed below.

Taho and berries recipe:

Ingredients (for 2):

300g silk tofu

½ cup tapioca pearls

Grape syrup or honey

Blueberries

Raspberries

Directions: 

1. Boil the tapioca pearls in a pot with two cups of water for about 20 minutes until the pearls are translucent. Then set aside to cool.

2. In two 250ml mugs or glasses, put approx. 150g of silk tofu slicing it thinly with a spoon from the container to the glasses.

3. Add a tablespoon of the cooked tapioca pearls on top of the silk tofu.

4. Put the mug/glass of silk tofu and tapioca pearls in the microwave and heat for about 1 minute at 800 watts. This should make the tofu warm. If you like it hot, then heat it for 2 minutes and you’ll hear ‘boiling’ sounds coming from the mug/glass.

5. Add a tablespoon of grape syrup or honey to your warm mug of taho.

6. Top it with some blueberries and raspberries.

Tip: To give it an extra health-kick, try adding some shredded flaxseeds on top. Enjoy!