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, Japanese :ja:玉子豆腐|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. 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.