![豆腐花1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/%E8%B1%86%E8%85%90%E8%8A%B11.jpg)
Douhua () is a Chinese sweet or savoury snack made with very tender
tofu
Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super f ...
. It is also referred to as doufuhua (), tofu pudding, soybean pudding or, particularly in northern China, tofu brains ().
History
Tofu is thought to have originated in ancient China during the
Han Dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
.
Liu An
Liú Ān (, c. 179–122 BC) was a Han dynasty Chinese prince, ruling the Huainan Kingdom, and an advisor to his nephew, Emperor Wu of Han (武帝). He is best known for editing the (139 BC) ''Huainanzi'' compendium of Daoist, Confucianist, an ...
, the grandson of
Emperor Gaozu of Han, was ambitious and wanted to invent something to make people live forever. Even though he failed to make the magic pill, he used soybean and bittern to finally get niveous and tender tofu, which was surprisingly tasty. People named it "tofu brains" because of its softness. Tofu brains then became a popular snack during
Han Dynasty. In the next 2000 years, it gradually spread throughout China.
During the
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
,
Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
became the political, economical, and military center of China. The boss of a famous Douhua restaurant, Liu Xilu, learnt the methods of making beancurd from others and innovated on them until he finally came up with his own "secret recipe", which greatly improved its taste.
Names
Regional variants
Variants of ''douhua'' can be broadly divided into three groups: savoury (鹹), spicy (辣) and sweet (甜).
Savoury
![Doufunao at Xixinlitun Breakfast (20220324073656)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Doufunao_at_Xixinlitun_Breakfast_%2820220324073656%29.jpg)
In Northern China, Douhua is often eaten with
soy sauce, thus resulting in a savory flavor. Northern Chinese often refer to ''douhua'' as tofu brains. Each region may differ in seasonings. Inland cities add chopped meat,
pickles
Pickles may refer to:
Dogs
* Pickles (dog) (died 1967), a dog that found the stolen World Cup trophy in 1966
* Pickles (pickleball), a dog often cited as the name origin for the sport of pickleball
* Mr. Pickles, the titular demonic dog in ...
or ''
zha cai
''Zha cai'' (; ), also romanized as ''Cha tsai'', is a type of pickled mustard plant stem originating from Chongqing, China. The name may also be written in English as ''cha tsai'', ''tsa tsai'', ''jar choy'', ''jar choi'', ''ja choi'', ''ja ch ...
'', and mushrooms, while coastal cities add seaweed and small shrimp. Tofu brains can be found at breakfast stands along the streets in the morning, usually with eggs or
youtiao
''Youtiao'' (), known in Southern China as Yu Char Kway is a long golden-brown deep-fried strip of dough of Chinese origin and (by a variety of other names) also popular in other East and Southeast Asian cuisines.
Conventionally, ''youtiao ...
(fried dough sticks). Other times it is hard to find outside of a restaurant.
Spicy
![Tofu brains doufunao](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Tofu_brains_doufunao.jpg)
In
Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
and neighboring
Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), N ...
, ''douhua'' is often flavored with chilli oil and
Sichuan peppers to make it spicy. It is served by
carrying pole or bicycle vendors with several condiments such as chili oil, soy sauce, scallions, and nuts. A famous Sichuan dish, spicy tofu fish (豆花鱼) uses ''douhua'' as an essential ingredient.
Sweet
![Douhua dessert](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Douhua_dessert.jpg)
In Southern China, Douhua is often eaten with sweet flavoring. Southern China often refers to Douhua as tofu pudding. It is served with sweet ginger or clear syrup. In summer, people eat cold Douhua to relieve themselves of the heat. In winter, people add hot sweet water and beans into Douhua to dispel cold. Hong Kong people add
sesame paste
Tahini () or tahina (, ) is a Middle Eastern condiment made from toasted ground hulled sesame. It is served by itself (as a dip) or as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva.
Tahini is used in the cuisines of the Levant and Eas ...
into Douhua.
Taiwanese and Cantonese ''douhua'' are a symbol of Southern Chinese cuisine, and often served as a part of
yum cha
''Yum cha'' is the Cantonese tradition of brunch involving Chinese tea and ''dim sum.'' The practice is popular in Cantonese-speaking regions, including Guangdong province, Guangxi province, Hong Kong, and Macau. It is also carried out in other ...
.
In Southeast Asia, ''douhua'' is almost always sweet, although condiments vary widely.
Filipino cuisine
![Taho2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Taho2.jpg)
In the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, it is more commonly known as ''
taho
Tahô () is a Philippine snack food made of fresh soft/silken tofu, ''arnibal'' (sweetener and flavoring), and sago pearl (similar to tapioca pearls). This staple comfort food is a signature sweet and tahô peddlers can be found all over ...
''. It is a fresh silken tofu served in sweet brown syrup and sago pearls. It is usually peddled by
hawkers in the mornings, by door-to-door or in public plazas, or outside churches. In some regional variations, taho is often served with sugarcane syrup, ube syrup or strawberry syrup.
Indonesian cuisine
![Tahwa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Tahwa.jpg)
In
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, it is known as ''Kembang tahu'' or in Java as ''Tahwa'' derived from the Chinese
Hokkien
The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages ...
name Tau Hwe, or ''Wedang Tahu'' (ꦮꦺꦢꦁꦠꦲꦸ) (Wedang means hot beverage and Tahu means tofu in Javanese) and is usually sold by
hawkers. It is served warm or cold with palm sugar syrup that has been flavored with pandan leaves and ginger.
Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine
In
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
and
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
, it is more commonly known by its names ''tau hua'' or ''tau huay'' in
Hokkien
The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages ...
, or by the
Cantonese
Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding ar ...
name (''tau fu fa''), with the Cantonese variation being more common in Malaysia. In
Penang, the common term is ''tau hua'', due to
Hokkien
The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages ...
being its dominant local Chinese language. In
Kelantan
Kelantan (; Jawi: ; Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate'') is a state in Malaysia. The capital is Kota Bharu and royal seat is Kubang Kerian. The honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' (Jawi: ; "The Blissful Abode").
Kelantan is located in th ...
, the dish is known as ''pati soya'' ().
It is usually served either with a clear sweet syrup alone, with
ginkgo
''Ginkgo'' is a genus of non-flowering seed plants. The scientific name is also used as the English name. The order to which it belongs, Ginkgoales, first appeared in the Permian, 270 million years ago, and is now the only living genus with ...
seeds suspended in the syrup, or in a sugar syrup infused with
pandan. Alternatively, it can also be served with palm syrup (Gula Melaka).
Thai cuisine
In
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
, it is known by its Chinese
Hokkien
The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages ...
name ''taohuai'' (เต้าฮวย). It is usually served cold with milk and fruit salad, which is known as ''taohuai nom sot'' (เต้าฮวยนมสด, literally "douhua in fresh milk") or ''taohuai fruit salad'' (เต้าฮวยฟรุตสลัด), or served hot with ginger syrup, which is known as ''taohuai nam khing'' (เต้าฮวยน้ำขิง).
Vietnamese cuisine
In
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, it is known as ''tàu hủ nước đường'', ''tàu hủ hoa'' or ''tào phớ'', ''đậu hủ'', ''tàu hủ''. It varies in three regions in Vietnam:
* Northern region — served with jasmine infused sugary water. It is enjoyed as warm in winter and cold with ice in summer.
* Central region — cooked with spicy ginger. Sugar is added. Douhua pieces are usually unshaped because of their softness.
* Southern region — served warm with lychee and coconut water. Ginger is optional. Douhua pieces are firmer than those in the North and the Central.
Nutritional value and health benefits
Douhua is rich in nutrients, contains
iron
Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...
,
calcium
Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...
,
phosphorus
Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Ear ...
,
magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ta ...
and other
trace element
__NOTOC__
A trace element, also called minor element, is a chemical element whose concentration (or other measure of amount) is very low (a "trace amount"). They are classified into two groups: essential and non-essential. Essential trace elements ...
s necessary for the human body. It also contains
sugar,
vegetable oil
Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of fruits. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are ''mixtures'' of triglycerides. Soybean oil, grape seed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed oils, or f ...
, and high-quality
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...
. The digestion and absorption rate of tofu is more than 95%.
In addition to its function of increasing nutrition and helping digestion, tofu is also beneficial to the growth and development of teeth and bones. It can increase iron element in people's blood in the
hematopoietic function; tofu does not contain
cholesterol
Cholesterol is any of a class of certain organic molecules called lipids. It is a sterol (or modified steroid), a type of lipid. Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell mem ...
, which is very beneficial to people with
hypertension,
high blood lipids,
hypercholesterolemia
Hypercholesterolemia, also called high cholesterol, is the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood. It is a form of hyperlipidemia (high levels of lipids in the blood), hyperlipoproteinemia (high levels of lipoproteins in the blood), ...
,
arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis is the thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the walls of arteries. This process gradually restricts the blood flow to one's organs and tissues and can lead to severe health risks brought on by atherosclerosis, which ...
, and
coronary artery disease. It is a valuable
food supplement
A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement one's diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources or that are synthetic in order ...
for children and the elders.
Tofu is rich in
phytoestrogens
A phytoestrogen is a plant-derived xenoestrogen (see estrogen) not generated within the endocrine system, but consumed by eating plants or manufactured foods. Also called a "dietary estrogen", it is a diverse group of naturally occurring nonster ...
as well, which has an effect on preventing and inhibiting
osteoporosis,
breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a r ...
,
prostate cancer, and
blood cancer
Tumors of the hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues (American English) or tumours of the haematopoietic and lymphoid tissues (British English) are tumors that affect the blood, bone marrow, lymph, and lymphatic system. Because these tissues are all ...
. The
sterols and
stigmasterol
Stigmasterol – a plant sterol (''phytosterol'') – is among the most abundant of plant sterols, having a major function to maintain the structure and physiology of cell membranes. In the European Union, it is a food additive listed with E num ...
in tofu are both effective ingredients for suppressing cancer.
Packaged
The dessert is also sold in North American
Asian supermarket
In the West or non-Asian countries, an Asian supermarket largely describes a category of grocery stores that focuses and stocks items and products imported from countries located in the Far East (e.g. East, Southeast and South Asia).
These st ...
s in plastic containers.
Requirements
Like all tofu, douhua must have a
coagulant, often
gluconolactone
Glucono-delta-lactone (GDL), also known as gluconolactone, is a food additive with the E number, E-number E575 used as a sequestrant, an acidifier, or a Curing (food preservation), curing, pickling, or leavening agent. It is a lactone of D-gluconi ...
for smoothness as compared with other coagulants.
In popular culture
Tofu pudding was featured on the
Netflix TV series, ''
Street Food
Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumpt ...
'', in the
Chiayi, Taiwan
Chiayi (, Taigi POJ: ''Ka-gī''; ), officially known as Chiayi City, is a city located in the plains of southwestern Taiwan. Formerly called ''Kagee'' during the late Qing dynasty and ''Kagi'' during the Japanese era (), its historical name i ...
episode.
See also
*
Dim sum
*
Tofu
Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super f ...
*
Taho
Tahô () is a Philippine snack food made of fresh soft/silken tofu, ''arnibal'' (sweetener and flavoring), and sago pearl (similar to tapioca pearls). This staple comfort food is a signature sweet and tahô peddlers can be found all over ...
*
List of tofu dishes
This is a list of tofu dishes. Tofu, also called bean curd, is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is a component in many East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines. Tofu dishes
* ...
*
References
{{Soy, state=collapsed
Cantonese cuisine
Chinese desserts
Hong Kong desserts
Sichuan cuisine
Singaporean cuisine
Taiwanese cuisine
Tofu dishes