Soft Tofu Pudding with Ginger-Scented Syrup

I absolutely adore tofu pudding (豆腐花) – it is so comforting and beautifully delicate. It’s eaten as a savoury breakfast in some parts of China, but is more widely enjoyed as a sweet dessert. Traditionally, the pillowy-soft curds are made by coagulating freshly pressed soy milk with gypsum powder, but the process can be simplified by using agar instead.

I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to use fresh soy milk in this recipe – it is bright and refreshing and quite unlike the