From a single tea leaf, a cup of bubble tea and a bowl of douhua to the lights of the night market — sail six stops along Taiwan's coast to meet its flavors and people, and see how a Taiwanese food company carries them to the world.
Along Taiwan's coastline — setting off from the tea hills and finally sailing from the harbor to the world.
Brand Philosophy
Tang Sugar Brand Philosophy: Taiwanese Food and Taiwanese Service, Bringing the Flavors of Taiwan to the World
From the Formosa Oolong that sailed to New York in 1869 to bubble tea loved around the globe, Taiwan has long been sending great flavors to the world. Tang Sugar (Caitang International) is a Taiwanese company proud of the food Taiwanese people make and the service they provide. With consistent ingredient quality, clear partnership terms and verifiable supply capability, we…
It introduces Taiwan's tea, bubble tea, night-market food, fruit and sugar, everyday life and Made in Taiwan, and shows how Tang Sugar brings these flavors and Taiwanese service to partners around the world.
How is Taiwan Stories different from the blog?
Taiwan Stories covers culture, origins and Taiwan through foreign eyes; the blog covers drink recipes, ingredient dosage and sourcing. The two link to each other, so you can go from a story to a recipe.
The Story of Douhua: Taiwan’s Beloved Tofu Pudding — How It’s Made, What It’s Called in English, and Toppings from Peanuts to Taro Balls
Key answer
Douhua is the dessert Taiwanese people grow up with: soy milk set with gypsum or nigari into silky curds, topped with syrup or brown sugar syrup and peanuts, tapioca, taro balls, red beans or mung beans — iced in summer, with hot ginger syrup in winter. In English it’s usually called douhua or tofu pudding. Tang Sugar supplies tapioca, taro balls, canned red and mung beans, brown sugar syrup, grass jelly and aiyu so dessert shops overseas can serve a bowl of Taiwanese douhua.
A bowl of douhua, part of everyday Taiwan
Douhua vendors once rode tricycles or scooters through the streets calling out their wares before opening shops. Today you can find douhua everywhere in Taiwan, from night markets and old streets to corner shops: a bowl of silky douhua with two or three toppings is cheap, light and one of Taiwan’s favorite snacks.
Where douhua comes from
Douhua starts with tofu. Tofu is generally thought to have originated in China, and folklore credits Liu An, Prince of Huainan in the Han dynasty, though there’s no firm historical evidence. English Wikipedia says the sweet dessert form of douhua was brought to Taiwan after the war by immigrants from the Shantou area of Guangdong, and then developed its own Taiwanese style: mostly sweet, with plenty of toppings, eaten both iced and hot.
How douhua is made: the coagulant decides the texture
Style
Coagulant
Texture
Traditional douhua (gypsum)
Gypsum (calcium sulfate), often mixed with sweet potato starch
Soft, fine and heat-stable; good with hot syrup
Nigari douhua
Nigari (magnesium-based)
Firmer with a sweet aftertaste, such as Yilan’s “white water” douhua
Pudding douhua
Agar, gelatin or pudding powder
Springy like pudding; most boxed douhua is this type
Dietitians note that gypsum-set douhua contains about 300 mg of calcium per 100 g, though syrup and lots of toppings add calories.
Douhua toppings: a treasure chest of Taiwanese desserts
Peanuts: the most classic topping, simmered until soft and flavorful.
Tapioca: small old-fashioned fenyuan, from the same family as bubble tea pearls (further reading: fenyuan, pearls and boba compared).
Taro balls and sweet potato balls: chewy toppings from places like Jiufen (further reading: what are taro balls?).
Red beans, mung beans and pearl barley: soft, creamy legume toppings.
Syrup: light brown sugar syrup, dark brown sugar syrup, or simply soy milk poured over.
Tang Sugar: making douhua a Taiwanese signature for shops overseas
This article belongs to Stop 3, Night Markets & Street Food, of the Taiwan Stories series. Series opener: Tang Sugar brand philosophy.
FAQ
What is 豆花 in English?
豆花 is usually called douhua in English, or tofu pudding or soybean pudding.
What is the difference between douhua and tofu?
Both are set from soy milk, but douhua isn’t pressed or drained, so it’s softer and silkier than soft tofu and is usually eaten as a dessert with syrup and toppings.
What is douhua made of?
Traditional douhua is soy milk set with gypsum or nigari; pudding douhua uses agar, gelatin or pudding powder to set the soy milk.
Is douhua high in calories?
Douhua itself is low in calories; most calories come from syrup and toppings, so choose less sugar and fewer toppings for a lighter bowl.
Can shops overseas sell Taiwanese douhua?
Yes. Douhua can be made in-store, while toppings and syrups such as peanuts, tapioca, taro balls and red beans can be imported from Taiwan, meeting the destination’s food rules.
