Basically, Filipino taho is composed of sweet tapioca pearls, silken tofu and topped with caramel sauce. It is sweet, creamy and soft like eating room temperature ice cream or maybe a crust-less cheesecake in a cup topped with caramel sauce. It is my childhood street food favorite and I bet every Filipino kid love this too. But, as you know me, I always have to find a way to make anything a little healthier so I could enjoy consuming it without the guilt. Also I would like to feed my child nutrient-dense food that his body needs for growth and development.
I remember, every morning,I would sit in our front porch waiting for that particular voice, hollering with the tone taho, taho, taho. Inviting everybody to buy taho as he walk miles and miles away everyday from one neighborhood to another carrying a shoulder pole. One metal bucket full of silken tofu and the other has 2 compartments .One for arnibal or caramel and the other is full of sweet tapioca pearls floating in arnibal as well. Weird but sweet. Anyways, when I hear manong mag-tataho is coming I’d call either my lolo or lola. I was the lookout then. We didn’t want to miss him coming by to buy taho. Those were the good ol’ days.
So yeah, this is how I make my Immune-Boosting “Taho”.
Let’s start making the Immune boosting syrup, I used
• Honey – has wound healing and antibacterial properties that relieves cough and cold symptoms.
• grated ginger and turmeric – anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing power
• orange peel (no pith pls.) – can you believe that 1 tablespoon (6 grams) of orange peel provides 14% of the Daily Value (DV) of vitamin C — nearly 3 times more than the inner fruit.
• Lemon juice – great source of vitamin c, potassium and vitamin b6.
Originally, tapioca pearls in sweet, dark brown syrup are used in taho but I decided using chia seeds instead. I love using this because it is nutrient dense—–PROTEIN—–packed, full of anti oxidants, fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, may reduce blood sugar levels and may lower heart disease to name a few.
What is taho without silken tofu? Tell me all about it, right?
Silken Tofu – is a great source of “complete” protein meaning it has well balanced amino acid profile that are building blocks for muscle and growth. It is also known to reduce heart disease and may lower risk of breast cancer for women. There were studies made that men who consumes tofu had 32-51% lower risk of prostate cancer plus it may reduce the risk of diabetes of those who have problems with this. Soy are also known to have rich amount of calcium and vitamin D, which are good for bone health.
Plum syrup (sugar free, I used swerve as sweetener) – plums alone are full of fiber that is very effective for relieving constipation. Prunes are dried plums and both are rich in antioxidants that may reduce inflammation. Like the aforementioned ingredients, plums may help lower blood sugar as well and may promote bone health. Consuming plums will also protect you from any heart disease, meaning it may reduce high blood pressure and lowers cholesterol levels.
I used:
1/2 cup Honey
1/4 cup orange peel, without the pith
1″ organic ginger and turmeric, grated
1/2 cup filtered water
Place all ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Bring it to a boil then turn the heat down to medium and continue simmering for about 5 minutes. Set aside and let it cool down a little bit maybe for about 5-10 minutes then add 1/4 cup chia seeds in the syrup and let it sit for about 30 minutes in the fridge. Chia seeds will absorb the syrup. Add a little bit more water if it needs some more.
The day before I made this recipe, I was making a plum tart that needed me to drain some of the liquid from the fresh plums and sugar substitute ( I used swerve). If you are curious about how to make that, it’ll be in another post. So yeah. It was about 1/4 -1/2 cup plum juice from 1 1/2 lbs. of plums plus 1/2 cup of sugar substitute and let it sit for about an hour or overnight. Poured the liquid in a small sauce pan added maybe 10 more plums and orange peels from 1 orange and 2 tablespoons honey. Bring it to a boil and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until plums are soft. Let it cool and set aside.
To serve taho, feel free to use any vessel you like to serve this with. I used 5 stemless wine glass, put 2-3 tablespoons of chia seeds at the bottom. Place 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup silken tofu then top it off with plum syrup. Serve and enjoy.
The Spatchcocked Kitchen 