Tahô () is a Philippine

snack food A snack is a small portion of food generally eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at home. Traditionally, snacks are ...

made of fresh soft/silken

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 ...

, ''arnibal'' (sweetener and flavoring), and sago pearl (similar to tapioca pearls). This staple

comfort food Comfort food is food that provides a nostalgic or sentimental value to someone, and may be characterized by its high caloric nature, high carbohydrate level, or simple preparation. The nostalgia may be specific to an individual, or it may a ...

is a signature sweet and tahô

peddler A peddler, in British English pedlar, also known as a chapman, packman, cheapjack, hawker, higler, huckster, (coster)monger, colporteur or solicitor, is a door-to-door and/or travelling vendor of goods. In England, the term was mostly used f ...

s can be found all over the country.

History

The dish originates from

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 ...

'' tāu-hū'' (豆腐), which was introduced to the Philippines via

immigrants.

Processing and preparation

Most ''tahô'' vendors prepare the separate ingredients before dawn. The main ingredient, fresh soft/silken tofu, is processed to a consistency that is very similar to a very fine

custard Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on sweetened milk, cheese, or cream cooked with egg or egg yolk to thicken it, and sometimes also flour, corn starch, or gelatin. Depending on the recipe, custard may vary in consistency fr ...

. The

brown sugar Brown sugar is unrefined or partially refined soft sugar. Brown Sugar may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Brown Sugar'' (1922 film), a 1922 British silent film directed by Fred Paul * ''Brown Sugar'' (1931 film), a 1931 ...

is caramelized and mixed with water to create a viscous

amber Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In M ...

-colored syrup called ''arnibal''. Flavors like

vanilla Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus '' Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla ('' V. planifolia''). Pollination is required to make the plants produce the fruit from whic ...

are sometimes added to the ''arnibal''.

Sago Sago () is a starch extracted from the pith, or spongy core tissue, of various tropical palm stems, especially those of ''Metroxylon sagu''. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Maluku Islands, where it is c ...

pearls, which can be bought at the local market, are boiled to a gummy consistency until they are a translucent white. In lieu of making soft tofu from scratch, one can use a soft tofu mix from the store. Leftover ''tahô,'' if significant amounts are found, is sometimes repurposed into '' tokwa'' ("tofu" in Filipino).

Marketing

The ''Mágtatahô'' (''tahô'' vendor) is a common sight in the Philippine streets. A ''mágtatahô'' carries two large

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...

buckets that hang from each end of a

carrying pole A carrying pole, also called a shoulder pole or a milkmaid's yoke, is a yoke of wood or bamboo, used by people to carry a load. This piece of equipment is used in one of two basic ways: *A single person balances the yoke over one shoulder, with ...

. The larger bucket carries the tofu base; the smaller bucket holds the ''arnibal'', sago pearls, and cash box. ''Tahô''

vendors In a supply chain, a vendor, supplier, provider or a seller, is an enterprise that contributes goods or services. Generally, a supply chain vendor manufactures inventory/stock items and sells them to the next link in the chain. Today, these terms ...

peddle A peddler, in British English pedlar, also known as a chapman, packman, cheapjack, hawker, higler, huckster, (coster)monger, colporteur or solicitor, is a door-to-door and/or travelling vendor of goods. In England, the term was mostly used ...

their product in a distinctive manner, walking at a leisurely pace on the sidewalk or shoulder of the road. Most ''mágtatahô'' travel a habitual route and schedule, often calling out ''"Tahô!"'' in a loud and full rising inflection to attract customers’ attention. Although vendors are most likely to ply their routes early in the morning, it is not uncommon for a ''mágtatahô'' to work in the late afternoon or evening as well. Most ''mágtatahô'' carry plastic cups, often in two sizes, and spoons or straws to serve their product. Some customers in residential areas tend to use their own cups, and the vendors price their product accordingly (usually at around twenty

Philippine peso The Philippine peso, also referred to by its Tagalog name ''piso'' ( Philippine English: , , plural pesos; tl, piso ; sign: ₱; code: PHP), is the official currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 ''sentimo'', also called ...

s, or US$0.42 for a standard-sized mug). Using a wide, shallow metal watch glass-shaped

scoop Scoop, Scoops or The scoop may refer to: Objects * Scoop (tool), a shovel-like tool, particularly one deep and curved, used in digging * Scoop (machine part), a component of machinery to carry things * Scoop stretcher, a device used for casualt ...

, they skim the surface of the bean curd and toss out any excess water, before scooping the bean curd itself into a cup. Then, using a long, thin metal ladle with a tiny bowl, they scoop

sago Sago () is a starch extracted from the pith, or spongy core tissue, of various tropical palm stems, especially those of ''Metroxylon sagu''. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Maluku Islands, where it is c ...

tapioca Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but whose use is now spread throughout South America ...

pearls and ''arnibal'' into the cup, loosely mixing it in.

Eating

''Tahô'' is enjoyed either with a spoon, sipping it with a straw, or by simply slurping it straight from the cup. Though traditionally served warm, cold varieties exist in supermarkets and food stalls in

cafeteria A cafeteria, sometimes called a canteen outside the U.S., is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or sch ...

s with bean curd in a solid, unbroken state. These pre-packed cups, sold with a plastic spoon or wooden

ice pop An ice pop is a liquid-based frozen snack on a stick. Unlike ice cream or sorbet, which are whipped while freezing to prevent ice crystal formation, an ice pop is "quiescently" frozen—frozen while at rest—and becomes a solid block of ice. ...

stick, tend to contain firmer tofu.

Varieties

Baguio Baguio ( , ), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...

, there is also a

strawberry The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus '' Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely ap ...

variety of ''tahô'', wherein strawberry syrup is used instead of ''arnibal''. Other varieties use white

cane sugar Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. It has the molecular formula . For human consumption, sucrose is extracted and ref ...

syrup, or

chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec ci ...

sauce.

References