Editor's Pick

The Magical Properties of Taho

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One taste of this quintessential Filipino snack can make a bad day a good one. What's in a cup of taho that makes it so magical?

Art by
Isabela Ferrer
Story and Art by

Isabela Ferrer

Read Time
4 mins.
Location Tag
Metro Manila
Originally Published In
June 2021
Glow in the dark stars on the ceiling

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Open window with the taho man's call
The Taho man walking by the gates of houses in the morning
The taho man walks to their house

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Contents of the Filipino Taho snack, silken tofu, arnibal (caramelized sugar) and sago (mini tapioca pearls), traced back to the Chinese traders and Malays who passed it on to Filipinos

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A bowl of taho, a staple for their neighborhood
The Taho man, with his large cans of taho ingredients, asks for each family member's preference

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How each of Isabel's family likes their Taho, some with more tofu, arniball or sago

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How Kuya Larry, their Taho man, assembles their taho

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Family table with bowls of taho

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Description of Taho traced back to Chinese kings as an elixir of immortality

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Isabela, the writer and illustrator, looks back at the taho experience as an anchor to her childhood and home

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A dedication to their Taho man, Kuya Larry

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