Douhua

Douhua
The famous Shanshui dau fu fa (山水豆腐花), i.e. beancurd jelly with sugar syrup on top, is sold on Lamma Island, Hong Kong.
Alternative names	Doufuhua, tofu pudding, soybean pudding
Type	Snack
Place of origin	China
Main ingredients	Tofu
Cookbook:Douhua  Douhua

Douhua (Chinese: 豆花; pinyin: dòuhuā) is the short form of doufuhua (Chinese: 豆腐花; pinyin: dòufuhuā). It is a Chinese snack made with very soft tofu. It is also referred to as tofu pudding and soybean pudding.

History

Tofu or doufu (Chinese: 豆腐, dòufu) is thought to have originated in ancient China during the Western Han Dynasty. Chinese people have developed and enriched the recipes for tofu dishes on the basis of their own tastes, such as mapo tofu, stinky tofu, pickled tofu and uncongealed tofu pudding, etc.^[1]

Unpackaged

Northern Chinese cuisine

In northern China, douhua is often eaten with soy sauce, thus resulting in a savory flavor. Northern Chinese often refer to douhua as doufunao (Simplified Chinese: 豆腐脑; Pinyin: dòufunǎo). literally 'tofu brains' (often shortened to "豆脑 dòunǎo"). Local Beijing people usually eat doufunao for breakfast together with eggs or youtiao (fried dough sticks). Doufunao can be found at breakfast stands along the streets in the moring. Other times it's hard to find it and you will have to go to a restaurant.^[2]

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 pepper, scallions, and nuts, and is sometimes eaten along with white rice as well.

Hubei cuisine

Douhua is served with sugar in Hubei. It is referred to as either doufunao (Simplified Chinese: 豆腐脑; Pinyin: dòufunǎo) or doufuhua (Simplified Chinese: 豆腐花; Pinyin: dòufuhuā).

Taiwanese cuisine

Douhua in ginger syrup from Taiwan

In Taiwanese cuisine, douhua is served with sweet toppings like cooked peanuts, adzuki beans, cooked oatmeal, tapioca, mung beans, and a syrup flavored with ginger or almond. During the summer, douhua is served with crushed ice; in the winter, it is served warm.

Cantonese cuisine

A bowl of Douhua in Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Sha Tin, Hong Kong

A Douhua stall in Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Sha Tin, Hong Kong

In Cantonese cuisine it is served with sweet ginger or clear syrup, and sometimes as a mixture with black bean paste, and sometimes also with coconut milk. Traditionally it is made with a wooden bucket, which is sold as dau fu fa in wooden bucket (木桶豆腐花) as part of dim sum cuisine.

Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine

Douhua in sugar syrup sold in West Coast, Singapore

In Singapore and Malaysia it is more commonly known by its names tau hua or tau huay in Min Nan, or by the Cantonese name (tau fu fa) with the Cantonese variation being more common in Malaysia. 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.

Philippine cuisine

In the Philippines it is known as taho and sold by hawkers in the mornings, usually door-to-door or outside churches. It is served warm with a dark brown, molasses-like caramel syrup called arnibal and sago or tapioca pearls.

Indonesian cuisine

Tahwa, Indonesian version of douhua, with ginger syrup and peanut

In Indonesia it is known as Kembang tahu (tofu flower) or in Java as Tahwa atau Wedang Tahu (Wedang means hot water with ginger, Tahu means tofu) 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.

The hawker usually sells it in the morning using a bicycle vendor. They sell it soaked with warm and sweet ginger syrup and add one or two spoons of coconut milk. People may ask for brewed peanut and mung bean paste. Sometimes, the customer may only buy the sweet brewed peanut as Kuah Kacang and consume it with cakwe.

Thai cuisine

In Thailand it is known by its Min Nan 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, 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- it is served with sugar, chia seeds. It is enjoyed as warm in winter and cold with ice in summer.

Central region- it is cooked with spicy ginger. Sugar is added. Douhua pieces are usually unshaped because of their softness.

Southern region- it is served warm with lychee and coconut water. Ginger is optional. Douhua pieces are more firm than those in the North and the Central.

Packaged

The dessert is also sold in North American Asian supermarkets in plastic containers.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Soybean pudding.

• Tofu
• Taho
• List of tofu dishes
• Food portal

References

Taiwanese cuisine Dishes and meals Bento Congee Geng Karasumi Minced pork rice Misua Mongolian barbecue Oyster vermicelli Pork ball Rice vermicelli Sanbeiji Shabu-shabu Ying Yang fish Xiaochi A-gei Ba-wan Beef noodle soup Chinese sausage Curry beef triangle Fish ball Gua bao Iron egg Oyster omelette Popiah Scallion pancake Shuangbaotai Small sausage in large sausage Spring roll Stinky tofu Tea egg Tempura Zongzi Snacks and desserts Aiyu jelly Baobing Bakkwa Caozaiguo Coconut bar Douhua Dried shredded squid Grass jelly Mochi Suncake Youtiao Beverages Bubble tea Tung-ting tea High mountain tea Kaoliang Mr. Brown Coffee Pouchong Soy milk Taiwan Beer Ingredients Black bean paste Rousong Shacha sauce Miscellaneous Night markets in Taiwan List Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation

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