Douhua is a Chinese dish made from soy milk combined with a coagulant.
It is also known as doufuhua, tofu pudding or, particularly in Northern China, tofu brain.
Douhua variants can be broadly divided into three groups: savory (鹹), spicy (辣), and sweet (甜).
In Northern China, Douhua is often consumed savory, with soy sauce, and called “tofu brain” (dòufunǎo).
Inland cities add minced meat, pickles, or zha cai and mushrooms, while coastal cities add seaweed and small shrimps.
At breakfast along the streets, it is usually served with eggs or youtiao (fried dough sticks).
In Sichuan and nearby Shaanxi, douhua is spicy and flavored with chili oil and Sichuan pepper to make it hot.
A famous Sichuan dish, spicy tofu fish (豆花鱼), uses douhua as an essential ingredient.
In Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangxi, it is sweet, and sugar is directly added to the tofu curd without other seasonings.
In Southern China, it is consumed sweet and called tofu pudding, served with sweet ginger or syrup.
The coagulants added to soy milk are usually:
• GDL, Glucono Delta Lactone, is a food additive used as an acidulant (commonly used also in feta cheese production).
• Gypsum, a soft sulfate mineral that is a main ingredient in plaster and drywall
• Gelatin, a translucent, flavorless powder made from animal parts, thus unsuitable for vegetarians or vegans
• Agar-agar
• Citrus or nigari (magnesium chloride)
The preparation methods vary depending on the chosen coagulant.
In the photo, the one tasted during breakfast at the “Harbour Metropolitan Plaza” hotel in Shanghai during our trip in December 2023.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups soy milk (unsweetened)
- 1 coagulant (GLD, gypsum, gelatin, agar agar, nigari)
Steps
For the steaming method: use cold or room temperature soy milk.
The cooking requires a heat-resistant bowl and a steamer.
• Dissolve the coagulant (gypsum 2 g (1/2 teaspoon)) in a small amount of soy milk.• Pour the rest of the soy milk and mix again.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and steam for 10 minutes on high heat.For the pouring method:
• Heat the soy milk until it boils (but not boiling)• Combine the coagulant (GDL 1 g, with a small amount of starch (1 g) and 1 tablespoon of water to dissolve it.
• Pour the hot soy milk over the mixture from about 12 inches above to allow the coagulant to mix.• Let it rest, covered, for 20-30 minutes.
With gelatin:
• Add 2 tablespoons of soy milk to 1 tablespoon of gelatin in a heat-resistant bowl. Let it stand for 5 minutes.
• Then place the remaining soy milk in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Pour over the gelatin mixture. Stir with a spoon until the gelatin is completely dissolved.• Cover and transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and let it rest for at least 4 hours.
• Serve cold or at room temperature.With agar agar:
• Combine soy milk and 1/2 teaspoon of agar agar in a saucepan and stir to incorporate.
• Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a gentle boil.
• Turn the heat to medium-low to reduce it to a simmer, then cook for another 5 minutes or until the agar agar is completely dissolved.
• Pour the mixture into a heat-resistant bowl or container.
• Cover with several layers of paper towels and secure with a lid or a large plate.
• Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and let it rest for at least 1 hour.
• Serve cold or at room temperature.
It is possible to use a tofu maker, available online.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How is Douhua consumed outside mainland China?
In Hong Kong and Macau, they add sweet sesame paste, brown sugar syrup, osmanthus syrup, and ginger juice.
The Taiwanese douhua, like the Cantonese version, is often served as part of yumcha. Beans like mung beans, red beans, and peeled peanuts are usually added, along with soy milk, fruit, or taro balls.
In the Philippines, it is more commonly known as taho.
It is a fresh and silky tofu served with sweet brown syrup and sago pearls.
It is usually sold by street vendors in the morning, door to door, in public squares, or outside churches.
In Indonesia, it is known as Kembang tahu or in Java as Tahwa, served hot or cold with palm sugar syrup flavored with pandan leaves and ginger.
Malaysia and Singapore: it is more commonly known as tau hua or tau huay.
It is usually served only with a sweet and clear syrup with ginkgo seeds, or in a pandan-infused sugar syrup.
Alternatively, it can also be served with palm syrup (gula melaka).
Thailand: it is known by the Chinese Hokkien name taohuai, served cold with milk and fruit salad, also known as taohuai nom sot (literally “douhua in fresh milk”) or fruit salad taohuai, or served hot with ginger syrup, which is known as taohuai nam khing.
In Vietnam, it is called tàu hủ nước đường, tàu hủ hoa o tào phớ, đậu hủ, tàu hủ.
It varies across three regions of Vietnam:
• Northern Region: served with jasmine-scented sugar water. It is enjoyed hot in winter and cold with ice in summer.
• Central: with spicy ginger and sugar. Douhua pieces are usually shapeless due to their softness.
• Southern: served hot with lychee and coconut water. The pieces are firmer than those from the North and Central.And in Japan, how is Douhua served?
Very often in the crazy version both hot and cold enriched with other ingredients like dried fruit, azuki beans or green beans, tapioca pearls, rice or sweet potato dumplings, jasmine syrup, etc.
This is what was tasted during our trip to Okinawa in March 2025:
