Facts About Annin tofu
Annin tofu or almond tofu is a soft, jellied dessert made of apricot kernel milk, agar, and sugar. It is a traditional dessert of Beijing cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, and Japanese cuisine. It is similar to blancmange.
The name "tofu" here refers to "tofu-like solid"; soy beans, which are the main ingredient of tofu, are not used. This naming convention is also seen in other east Asian dishes, e.g. Chinese yudoufu (鱼豆腐), Japanese tamagodofu.
Traditional recipe
In the traditional recipe, the primary ingredient are almonds, soaked and ground with water. The almond milk is extracted, sweetened, and heated with a gelling agent (usually agar). When chilled, the almond milk mixture solidifies to the consistency of a soft gelatin dessert.
Variations
Although the agar-based recipe is vegan, there are numerous nontraditional recipes that are not. Most are based on dairy products and a small amount of flavored extract. Gelatin is also a common substitute for agar.
Almond jelly can be made from scratch or using instant mix. There is an instant soy-based powder with a coagulating agent, which dissolves in hot water and solidifies upon cooling.
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