P
Chinese
Chinese Almond Tofu (Xing Ren Dou Fu)
Xing ren dou fu: almond jelly/tofu — set Chinese dessert made from apricot kernel (nan xing / nan ren — Southern apricot kernel, sometimes called 'Chinese almond') simmered in water, strained, mixed with agar-agar or gelatin and milk, then chilled until set. Served in cubes in a sugar syrup with fruit cocktail or osmanthus syrup. A Chinese restaurant dessert ubiquitous across Asia.
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
80 g
Southern apricot kernels (nan xing / nan ren)
not the bitter Northern kernel (bei xing)
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
400 ml
water
Your own market
200 ml
whole milk
Your own market
4 g
agar-agar powder
or substitute gelatin for a silkier set
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
40 g
caster sugar
Your own market
For the syrup
200 ml
water
Your own market
60 g
caster sugar
Your own market
To serve
2 tbsp
osmanthus flower syrup (gui hua jiang)
Cantonese finishing touch
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
100 g
fruit cocktail
drained, or fresh fruit in season
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
II
The Method
1
Place the nan xing kernels in a bowl, cover with cold water and soak for at least two hours. Drain. Transfer to a blender with 400 ml fresh water and process until the kernels are finely ground. The liquid will appear milky white.
2
Pour the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve lined with muslin into a clean saucepan, pressing firmly to extract all liquid. Discard the solids. The strained liquid must be completely clear of any grit or meal — this step decides the dish. Any residual solids will produce a grainy, broken texture in the finished jelly and the dessert cannot be recovered.
3
Add the milk and the caster sugar to the strained almond liquid in the saucepan. Sprinkle in the agar-agar. Set over a medium flame and bring slowly to a simmer, stirring constantly until the agar-agar and sugar have fully dissolved — the liquid should be smooth and uniform, with no visible granules when a spoon is drawn across the base.
4
Pour into a lightly oiled shallow tray or individual moulds. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firmly set. The surface should be matt and unyielding to a light finger press.
5
Prepare the syrup: dissolve the sugar in the water over a gentle heat, bring briefly to the simmer, then remove and cool completely. Refrigerate until very cold.
6
Unmould the set jelly and cut into neat cubes. Divide among chilled bowls. Spoon over the cold sugar syrup, add the fruit cocktail, and finish with osmanthus flower syrup. Serve immediately — the delicate almond-vanilla character dissipates at room temperature; the bowls must be cold to the touch.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Whole, dried nan xing kernels sourced from a Chinese herbalist or specialist grocer; agar-agar and gelatin used in combination for both structure and silk; osmanthus flower syrup made in-house; fresh lychee or mango in place of tinned fruit.
02
Estate — Packaged nan xing kernels from an Asian supermarket; pure agar-agar; good-quality osmanthus syrup from a Chinese grocer; drained tinned lychees.
03
Market — Pre-ground almond powder accepted in place of whole kernels, though flavour is noticeably lighter; standard gelatin; a light plain syrup; tinned fruit cocktail.
04
House — Sweet almond extract used to flavour plain milk jelly — a shortcut that yields none of the characteristic nan xing character, though the set dessert remains pleasant and is acceptable for a household table.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Sight. The strained almond liquid is smooth and opaque white, with no floating solids or grit.
◇Sight. The dissolved agar-agar liquid shows no visible granules when a spoon is drawn across the base of the pan.
◇Touch. The set jelly is matt and unyielding under a light finger press — it holds a clean edge when cut.
◇Touch. The serving bowls and syrup are cold to the touch before plating — warmth dissipates the delicate flavour.
◇Where it lives or dies. The almond liquid must be strained through muslin until completely free of solids — any grit or meal carried into the set will produce an irremediably grainy texture.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Buffalo Trace Distillery · Kentucky Bourbon Country
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Whisky
From British Columbia
Nothing from British Columbia holds against this yet.
Without alcohol
No pour without alcohol holds against this yet.
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The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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