Food in Singapore is seen as one of the aspects that
characterize the national identity and unifies the culture of the country. Eating
in Singapore has become a national pastime, people of different ethnicity often
end up eating together, despite being aware of each other's cultures, choosing
food acceptable to all. thus the food becomes a frequent topic of conversation,
Muslims do not eat pork and Hindus do not eat beef, and there are also many
vegetarian options. Restaurants must adapt to these cultural differences, for
example, there are Chinese restaurants that serve halal cake.
A typical Chinese baked food that has become very popular in
Singapore is the Tau huay, in China called Dòuhuā (Chinese: 豆花) or
dòufuhuā (Chinese: 豆腐花).
It is made with very soft tofu. It is also known as tofu pudding. In China,
douhua is served with soy sauce. But it is a common dessert alla round Asia with
its peculiarities depending on the region, it is served in different ways with
numerous condiments.
For exemple in Sichuan is made without sugar, then served
with some condiments such as chili oil, soy sauce, Sichuan pepper, scallions,
and nuts, and it is eaten with white
rice as well. However In Hubei, Douhua is served only with sugar. In Taiwanese
cuisine, douhua is served with sweet seasonings such as cooked peanuts, adzuki
beans, cooked oatmeal, tapioca, mung beans, and a syrup flavored with ginger or
almond. During the summer it is served with ice and in the winter it is served
warm. In Cantonese cuisine it is prepared with ginger or syrup, and sometimes
with a mix of black sesame paste or with coconut milk. In the Philippines it is
known as taho and sold by hawkers in the mornings. It is served warm with brown
syrup and sago or tapioca balls. In the Indonesia it is known as Wedang Tahu
(Wedang means hot water with ginger, Tahu means tofu) and usually sold by
hawkers. In Thailand It is usually served cold with milk and some fruits, or
served hot with ginger syrup.In Vietnam it varies in the three regions: in the
North, it is served with sugar and jasmine. It is prepared warm in winter and
cold with ice in summer. In the Middle, it is cooked with spicy ginger, with or
without sugar. In the South, it is served warm with ginger and coconut water,
ginger is optional and pieces are harder than those in the North and the
Middle.
In Singapore it is
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
local Chinese dialect. It is usually prepared with sweet syrup or with ginkgo
seeds suspended in the syrup, or in a sugar syrup infused with pandan. In
Malaysia, however, the most popular cake is served with hot and sweet ginger, as it
is believed to contain medicinal properties.
