Taho at sago (soyabean curd and tapioca balls) is a Pinoy snack dessert probably derived from similar Chinese desserts. This soyabean treat is used to be sold by ambulant vendors in the Philippines in aluminum cans, mostly in the early morning hours to be serve for breakfast.
To Pinoys born some two decades ago, the welcome sight of ambulant vendors peddling on the streets of Manila these cans of sweetened soyabean curd can trigger nostagia for the bygone days when snacking was mainly local and “BMcDo” (Before McDonalds).
Taho at sago is sweetened with arnibal or brown sugar dissolved to syrupy sweetness. With spoonfuls of arnibal, the curd and sago are mixed and is best eaten lukewarm. Only in later years (in the late 1990s) was there a fad for semi-frozen or cold taho at sago which sounds like a horrid idea to those who are used to the original lukewarm version.
Basically a dessert treat to the great massa of Filipinos, the dessert has in recent years climbed the social ladder and are now served in mainstream restaurants and fast-food shops where Philippine street food has seen a profitable and popular revival.
Bon appetit!
