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Monday, December 17, 2007

Taho

This street food (beverage) will totally start off your day, or even relax you in the middle of the afternoon by just one sip. Everywhere you go, you will see Taho vendors walking around carrying those large aluminum containers containing this sweet and perfect Taho. Usually in the morning you could hear loud "Tahooooo" screams from the Taho vendor telling people to buy one.

Taho is a Philippine snack food made of fresh soft/silken tofu, arnibal (brown sugar syrup), and sago "pearls" (similar to tapioca pearls). This staple comfort food is a signature sweet and can be found all over the country. The Indonesian equivalent of this dish is Tahu.

The Magtataho or taho vendors are a common sight in the Philippines. They are typically male and carry two large aluminum buckets that hang from each end of a long wooden plank or yoke.

Most magtataho carry plastic cups for their product, often in two sizes (though vendors in residential communities tend to use their customers' cups and price their product accordingly). Using a wide, shallow metal "sandok" or scoop, they skim the surface of the bean curd and toss out any excess water, subsequently scooping the bean curd itself into a cup. Then, using a long thin metal ladle, they scoop sago "pearls" and arnibal into the cup, loosely mixing it in.

Taho is enjoyed either with a spoon or by simply "drinking" it from the cup. Though traditionally served warm, cold varieties exist in supermarkets and in food stalls in cafeterias which have the bean curd in a solid, unbroken state. These pre-packed cups tend to contain a firmer tofu which need to be broken up and is sold either with a plastic spoon or a wooden popsicle stick.

This street food is best enjoyed hot, and you could even request for additional arnibal from the vendor and he wouldnt mind!


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