What is a recipe that you've brought with you from your childhood that you make today, and what is the childhood memory that comes with it? How does it make you feel?
It's raining today and I'm thinking about making a hot desert for my family. Just check the fridge and I found some ginger which is perfect for healing up my body from inside to outside. Lol!!! Well, nothing can beat "Tofu pudding with ginger syrup" or in Vietnamese "Tàu hũ nước gừng" on this cold and rainy day.
My family love it and I haven't cooked this for too long. This was also my favorite desert during my childhood. The fact is my mom has never made it at home, but when I was small, everytime she got home from the market, she would bring some silky tofu pudding with brown sugar syrup infused with ginger which was packed in a small bag. On those days that my mom didn't go to the market, I used to hold a small bowl every day after taking a nap and wait for the lady carrying a big pot of tofu to pass by our house each afternoon. My brother and I would be so happy and cheer every time she gave us one. I still remember, it cost less than a cent which was very cheap back then.
Until now, this desert is still popular and loved by many people, but there is one special thing, that is, you can usually only find it from street vendors, but rarely in stores. It's been around for generations. I believe this dish is not just a part of my childhood, but also many people's as well. That is a combination of the smoothness and freshness of tofu mixed with the sweetness of sugar water and the light aroma of thin slices of ginger, all blend together to create a nutritious cup of tofu which helps warm up your body on a cold winter day.
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For the tofu pudding, usually people have to make the fresh soy milk from the soybeans then add Glucono Delta Lactone to firm soy milk into tofu, but I prefer the quicker way, I simply buy the pack of Soybean Curd Mix that you can easily find at any Asian market. I had tried a few brands, but the tofu pudding made with this brand "House Foods" is 80% as good as the one I ate as a child. The direction is quite clear on the packaging but there is only one note, instead of using 1200ml water I only use 1000ml so the tofu pudding is thicker which I think brings better flavor.
The ginger syrup is an easy part. I just simply mix water and sugar (1:1) then cook until it change to brown color and add some ginger at the end when it's still on the heat for another minute. It brings more flavor if we have a pandan leave in the syrup but if not, it's totally fine.
This is my entry post for #ladiesofhive Contest #50. Thank you so much @elizabethbit for this week topics. It's great to chill with a dish that bring back memory from childhood on a rainy day!
I want to invite @winnietran to participate in this contest, I believe she would has a wonderful recipe to share! ;)