Although shaved ice can be found even in fall and winter, douhua is a dessert that can be enjoyed year round in both hot and cold weather. Douhua is made from soy milk which is set by using coagulants such as gypsum or bittern. The resulting texture of douhua is soft and silky. It is often served with a sweet syrup and various toppings. Each shop selling douhua has many toppings for customers to choose from, such as peanuts, mesona jelly, tapioca balls, mung beans, adzuki beans and taro paste.
刨冰雖然秋冬也吃得到，但有什麼甜品冷暖皆宜，豆花是好選擇。豆花是在豆漿中拌入石膏、鹵水等促凝劑製成，白嫩絲滑，舀入糖水享用。每間豆花店還有許多種配料任君選擇，如花生、仙草凍、粉圓、綠豆、紅豆和芋泥等。
coagulant (n.) 促凝劑
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gypsum (n.) 石膏
bittern (n.) 鹵水
Douhua can be served with either cold or hot sugar syrup. In the summertime, some shops also offer the option of adding shaved ice to douhua, making it even more refreshing and enjoyable on a hot day. In the winter, adding ginger syrup to douhua creates a comforting dessert that helps to ward off the cold. Other sweet soups such as adzuki bean soup can be used in place of the syrup. In Chiayi, another popular way to replace the syrup is to use sweet soy milk. Aside from its wide range of options, douhua offers the additional advantage of being a healthy and nutritious dessert, low in calories and high in protein. Since it contains no dairy products, it is also a great option for those with lactose intolerance.
豆花既可以配冷糖水，也可以加熱糖水享用。豆花中加入冰沙，在炎熱的夏天裡更是清涼可口；冬天則可在糖水中加入薑汁祛寒。除此之外也可以改成紅豆湯等甜湯。在嘉義，將糖水改成甜豆漿也是蔚為流行的吃法。除了選擇多樣外，營養健康也是豆花一大優點。豆花低熱量、高蛋白質，且不含乳製品，適合有乳糖不耐症的人。
refreshing (adj.) 提神的；清涼的
lactose intolerance (n. phr.) 乳糖不耐症
Douhua is thought to have originated in ancient China during the Han Dynasty (c. 202 BCE–220 CE). Liu An, the grandson of Emperor Gaozu of Han, wanted to invent an elixir to allow people to live forever. He accidentally mixed soy milk with gypsum powder, and as a result, the soy milk was set into a white substance that was surprisingly soft and tasty. Due to its softness, this product is named “tofu brain,” which later evolved into today’s douhua and tofu. This dessert made from soybeans has been passed down for thousands of years and is still a beloved after-dinner treat among Taiwanese.
豆花源自漢朝（約公元前202至220年），相傳漢高祖的孫子劉安欲研發長生不老的丹藥，但在煉製時意外將豆漿和石膏粉混合，豆漿因而凝固，卻出奇的好吃。由於十分柔軟而名為「豆腐腦」，並演變成現今的豆花和豆腐。這道由大豆製成的甜品流傳千年，至今仍然是台灣人喜愛的飯後甜點。
elixir (n.) 不老藥；萬能藥；靈丹妙藥
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