Douhua
Encyclopedia
Douhua or doufuhua (Chinese: 豆腐花, dòufuhuā) is a Chinese dessert
made with very soft tofu
. It is also referred to as tofu pudding and soybean pudding.
created the recipe for soybean pudding during the Conquest of Tunis
. It was not until centuries later that his recipe was discovered by historian Stewart MacDonald, proof of the basis that Charles was the inventor.
, douhua is often eaten with soy sauce
, thus resulting in a savory flavor. Northern Chinese often refer to douhua as doufunao .
, scallions, and nuts, and is sometimes eaten along with white rice as well.
, douhua is served with sweet toppings like cooked peanut
s, adzuki beans, cooked oatmeal
, tapioca
, mung bean
s, and a syrup
flavored with ginger
or almond
. During the summer, douhua is served with crushed ice; in the winter, it is served warm.
it is served with sweet ginger or clear syrup, and sometimes as a mixture with black sesame
paste, and sometimes also with coconut milk
. Traditionally it is made with wooden bucket
, which is sold as dau fu fa in wooden bucket (木桶豆腐花) as part of dim sum
cuisine.
and Malaysia it is more commonly known by its names tow huay or tau huay in Min Nan
, or by the Cantonese name (tau fa) with the Cantonese variation being more common in Malaysia, in fact it is almost exclusively known as tau fa there while tau huey is generally associated with Singapore. In Penang
, the common term is tau hua due to the Hokkien
roots of the local Chinese dialect.
It is usually served either with a clear sweet syrup alone, with ginkgo seeds suspended in the syrup, or in a sugar syrup infused with pandan
. In Malaysia, however, the most popular kind is served in hot and sweet ginger water, with some customers preferring to buy only the ginger water as it is believed to contain medicinal properties. Again, the exception is in Penang where the sugar syrup is used, with white or brown sugar variations available. The same syrup is used to flavour soy bean milk
drinks, known locally as tau chui in the Hokkien tongue, usually sold by the same purveyors, with the option to add grass jelly
to the drink.
it is known as taho
and sold by hawkers
in the mornings. It is served warm with a dark brown syrup and sago
or tapioca
balls.
it is known as Wedang Tahu (Wedang means hot water with ginger
, Tahu means tofu) and usually sold by hawkers
. It is served warm with palm sugar syrup that has been flavored with pandanus leaves and ginger.
, it is known as tàu hũ nước đường, tàu hũ hoa or tào phớ, đậu hủ, tàu hủ. It varies in three regions in Vietnam:
Northern region- it is served with sugar, jasmine. It is enjoyed as warm in winter and cold with ice in summer.
Central region- it is cooked with spicy ginger. Sugar is optional. Douhua pieces are usually unshaped because of their softness.
Southern region- it is served warm with ginger and coconut water. Ginger is optional. Douhua pieces more firmer than those in the North and the Central.
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
made with very soft tofu
Tofu
is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
. It is also referred to as tofu pudding and soybean pudding.
History
In 1535 Charles VCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
created the recipe for soybean pudding during the Conquest of Tunis
Conquest of Tunis
The Conquest of Tunis in 1535 was an attack on Tunis, then under the control of the Ottoman Empire, by the Spanish Empire.-Background:In 1533, Suleiman ordered Hayreddin Barbarossa, whom he had summoned from Algiers, to build a large war fleet in the arsenal of Constantinople...
. It was not until centuries later that his recipe was discovered by historian Stewart MacDonald, proof of the basis that Charles was the inventor.
Northern Chinese cuisine
In northern ChinaNorthern and southern China
Northern China and southern China are two approximate regions within China. The exact boundary between these two regions has never been precisely defined...
, douhua is often eaten with soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
, thus resulting in a savory flavor. Northern Chinese often refer to douhua as doufunao .
Sichuan cuisine
Douhua in Sichuan is often made without any sugar at all, then served by carrying-pole or bicycle vendors with a number of condiments such as chili oil, soy sauce, Sichuan pepperSichuan Pepper
Sichuan pepper is the outer pod of the tiny fruit of a number of species in the genus Zanthoxylum , widely grown and consumed in Asia as a spice. Despite the name, it is not related to black pepper or to chili peppers...
, scallions, and nuts, and is sometimes eaten along with white rice as well.
Hubei cuisine
Douhua is served only with sugar in Hubei. It is referred to as either doufunao (Chinese: 豆腐腦) or doufuhua (Chinese: 豆腐花).Taiwanese cuisine
In Taiwanese cuisineTaiwanese cuisine
Taiwanese cuisine has several variations. In addition to the following representative dishes from the people of Hoklo ethnicity , there are also Aboriginal, Hakka, and local derivatives of Chinese cuisines .Taiwanese cuisine itself is often associated with influences from mid to southern...
, douhua is served with sweet toppings like cooked peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s, adzuki beans, cooked oatmeal
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is ground oat groats , or a porridge made from oats . Oatmeal can also be ground oat, steel-cut oats, crushed oats, or rolled oats....
, tapioca
Tapioca
Tapioca is a starch extracted Manihot esculenta. This species, native to the Amazon, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and most of the West Indies, is now cultivated worldwide and has many names, including cassava, manioc, aipim,...
, mung bean
Mung bean
The mung bean is the seed of Vigna radiata. It is native to the Indian subcontinent.-Description:They are small, ovoid in shape, and green in color...
s, and a syrup
Syrup
In cooking, a syrup is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars but showing little tendency to deposit crystals...
flavored with ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
or almond
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
. During the summer, douhua is served with crushed ice; in the winter, it is served warm.
Cantonese cuisine
In Cantonese cuisineCantonese cuisine
Cantonese cuisine comes from Guangdong Province in southern China and is one of 8 superdivisions of Chinese cuisine. Its prominence outside China is due to the great numbers of early emigrants from Guangdong. Cantonese chefs are highly sought after throughout the country...
it is served with sweet ginger or clear syrup, and sometimes as a mixture with black sesame
Sesame
Sesame is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods....
paste, and sometimes also with coconut milk
Coconut milk
Coconut milk is the water that comes from the grated meat of a coconut. The colour and rich taste of the milk can be attributed to the high oil content. In many parts of the world, the term coconut milk is also used to refer to coconut water, the naturally occurring liquid found inside the hollow...
. Traditionally it is made with wooden bucket
Bucket
A bucket, also called a pail, is typically a watertight, vertical cylinder or truncated cone, with an open top and a flat bottom, usually attached to a semicircular carrying handle called the bail. A pail can have an open top or can have a lid....
, which is sold as dau fu fa in wooden bucket (木桶豆腐花) as part of dim sum
Dim sum
Dim sum refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates...
cuisine.
Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine
In SingaporeCuisine of Singapore
Singaporean cuisine is indicative of the ethnic diversity of the culture of Singapore, as a product of centuries of cultural interaction owing to Singapore's strategic location...
and Malaysia it is more commonly known by its names tow huay or tau huay in Min Nan
Min Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
, or by the Cantonese name (tau fa) with the Cantonese variation being more common in Malaysia, in fact it is almost exclusively known as tau fa there while tau huey is generally associated with Singapore. In Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, the common term is tau hua due to the Hokkien
Hokkien
Hokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
roots of the local Chinese dialect.
It is usually served either with a clear sweet syrup alone, with ginkgo seeds suspended in the syrup, or in a sugar syrup infused with pandan
Pandanus amaryllifolius
Pandanus amaryllifolius is a tropical plant in the screwpine genus which is known commonly as pandan and is used widely in Southeast Asian cooking as a flavoring. The plant is rare in the wild but is widely cultivated. It is an upright green plant with fan-shaped sprays of long, narrow, bladelike...
. In Malaysia, however, the most popular kind is served in hot and sweet ginger water, with some customers preferring to buy only the ginger water as it is believed to contain medicinal properties. Again, the exception is in Penang where the sugar syrup is used, with white or brown sugar variations available. The same syrup is used to flavour soy bean milk
Soy milk
Soy milk and sometimes referred to as soy drink/beverage is a beverage made from soybeans. A stable emulsion of oil, water, and protein, it is produced by soaking dry soybeans and grinding them with water...
drinks, known locally as tau chui in the Hokkien tongue, usually sold by the same purveyors, with the option to add grass jelly
Grass jelly
Grass jelly, or Leaf jelly, is a jelly-like dessert found in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. It is sold in cans or packets in Asian supermarkets.-Preparation:...
to the drink.
Philippine cuisine
In the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
it is known as taho
Taho
Tahô is a Philippine snack food made of fresh soft/silken tofu, arnibal , and pearl sago . This staple comfort food is a signature sweet and can be found all over the country...
and sold by hawkers
Hawker (trade)
A hawker is a vendor of merchandise that can be easily transported; the term is roughly synonymous with peddler or costermonger. In most places where the term is used, a hawker sells items or food that are native to the area...
in the mornings. It is served warm with a dark brown syrup and sago
Sago
Sago is a starch extracted in the spongy center or pith, of various tropical palm stems, Metroxylon sagu. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Moluccas, where it is called saksak and sagu. A type of flour, called sago flour, is made from sago. The largest supply...
or tapioca
Tapioca
Tapioca is a starch extracted Manihot esculenta. This species, native to the Amazon, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and most of the West Indies, is now cultivated worldwide and has many names, including cassava, manioc, aipim,...
balls.
Indonesian cuisine
In the IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
it is known as Wedang Tahu (Wedang means hot water with ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
, Tahu means tofu) and usually sold by hawkers
Hawker (trade)
A hawker is a vendor of merchandise that can be easily transported; the term is roughly synonymous with peddler or costermonger. In most places where the term is used, a hawker sells items or food that are native to the area...
. It is served warm with palm sugar syrup that has been flavored with pandanus leaves and ginger.
Thai cuisine
In Thailand it is known by its Min Nan name tao huai (เต้าฮวย). It is usually served cold with milk and fruit salad, which is known as tao hu nom sot (เต้าหู้นมสด, literally "tofu fresh milk") tao huai fruit salad (เต้าฮวยฟรุตสลัด), or served hot with ginger syrup, which is known as tao huai nam khing (เต้าฮวยน้ำขิง).Vietnamese cuisine
In VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, it is known as tàu hũ nước đường, tàu hũ hoa or tào phớ, đậu hủ, tàu hủ. It varies in three regions in Vietnam:
Northern region- it is served with sugar, jasmine. It is enjoyed as warm in winter and cold with ice in summer.
Central region- it is cooked with spicy ginger. Sugar is optional. Douhua pieces are usually unshaped because of their softness.
Southern region- it is served warm with ginger and coconut water. Ginger is optional. Douhua pieces more firmer than those in the North and the Central.
See also
- TofuTofuis a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
- TahoTahoTahô is a Philippine snack food made of fresh soft/silken tofu, arnibal , and pearl sago . This staple comfort food is a signature sweet and can be found all over the country...