QUEZON City, Philippines (September 3) – The history of taho is not yet fully understood, but early records suggest that the delicacy is from China, adapted by Filipinos from tow hway or Douhua prior to Spanish Occupation. The Chinese were one of the most active traders with Filipinos during that era. Traditionally, taho vendors are only seen in the morning but nowadays, they are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week considering you know where your local taho vendor hangs out. This sweet food captures the taste of both the young and the old, especially the children.
Derived from the influence of the Chinese cuisine, this food is made out of fresh soya or soybean which is also used in making soy sauce. It includes “arnibal” (caramelized brown sugar) or sweet vanilla syrup with the combination of pearl sago bought from local market and are boiled to a gummy-like condition until it turns out to be transluscent white. You can buy a single serving for Php 10. On a personal note, a single serving won’t cut it for me so I usually have a taller cup with me and I have the vendor fill that with taho. More importantly, I get a discount.
How you eat your taho is another thing. You can use a straw, a spoon, or sip it straight from the cup. I prefer to use a spoon though. I find that using a straw gets just too much syrup. Sipping straight from the cup gets too little syrup. Using a spoon, you can get just the right mix of syrup and the silken tofu. This way, you can enjoy eating your taho better.
A single serving of taho has 180 calories, 4 grams of fat, 8 grams of carbohydrates and 8 grams of protein. The protein comes from the soya beans and the carbohydrates come from the syrup. A word of warning though, if you are suffering from arthritis, rheumatism or gout, the uric acid content in the tofu might trigger symptoms of joint or muscle pains or worst, gout formation.
It is believed that taho originated from the Chinese influence on Philippine cuisine since China and the Philippines have long been trading partners. It is also very common that most Filipinos have Chinese ancestors.
The magtataho are commonly seen strolling in the streets, parks, markets and other public places where people can see them easily.. Anyways, you’ll never miss the vendor for you can always hear him shouting, “Tahoooo! Tahooo!”, several times as he passed you by. Nowadays, the syrup is available in many flavor choices like the strawberry(in Baguio), buko pandan and honey.
Taho is not only delicious, it also has many health benefits. Taho is rich in vitamins and minerals like:
• Lunasin- a soy peptid
• Protein- good for muscles and tissues
• Carbohydrates- that gives our body energy for our daily use
• Folic acid- for the brain and it’s good for pregnant women
• Calcium- strengthen our bones and teeth
• Vitamin B1/ Thiamin- it helps converting carbohydrates into energy
• Riboflavin/ Vitamin B
• Zinc
• Phosphorus
• Iron
• Vitamin B4
(Written by Cleeve Carpio, edited by Jay Paul Carlos, additional research by Lovely Ann Cruz)
