Tofu Fa

Tofu Fa, also known as Dou Fu Hua, is the silkiest of all tofu preparations — freshly made soy milk gently set with gypsum powder into a pudding-soft curd that trembles at the touch of a spoon. A Cantonese classic found at morning tea houses and street stalls, it is served warm with fragrant ginger syrup or cool with sweet osmanthus jelly. Its simplicity is its virtue: nothing but the pure, clean flavour of fresh soya.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Tofu Fa

• 1 litre (4 cups) unsweetened soy milk (preferably fresh or high-quality packaged, 6–8% protein)
• 5g (1½ tsp) food-grade gypsum powder (calcium sulphate) — the traditional coagulant
• 2 tbsp (30ml) cold water

Ginger Syrup

• 200g (1 cup) raw sugar or palm sugar
• 400ml (1⅔ cups) water
• 60g (2 oz) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thin
• 2 pandan leaves, knotted (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the syrup first: combine sugar, water, ginger, and pandan leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the syrup is lightly thickened and perfumed with ginger. Strain and keep warm.
2. Mix gypsum powder with 2 tbsp cold water in a heatproof bowl until fully dissolved. This is the coagulant solution — have it ready in the bowl you will set the tofu in.
3. Heat the soy milk in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring gently, until it just reaches 85–90°C (185–195°F) — small bubbles will appear at the edges. Do not boil.
4. From a height of about 30cm (12 inches), pour the hot soy milk in a single swift stream into the bowl containing the gypsum solution. The height creates turbulence that mixes the coagulant through the milk. Do not stir after pouring.
5. Cover the bowl immediately with a plate or cling film. Leave undisturbed at room temperature for 15–20 minutes until the tofu sets to a silky, trembling curd. It should hold its shape when a spoon is drawn through it but wobble like panna cotta.
6. Serve by scooping into bowls with a flat-edged spoon (a Chinese soup spoon works well), making gentle folds. Pour warm ginger syrup over the top.

Cook's Notes: The quality of your soy milk is everything — use the freshest, highest-protein soy milk you can find. Temperature is critical: too hot or too cold and the tofu will not set properly. Tofu Fa must be eaten the day it is made; it cannot be refrigerated without losing its texture.