China — soy milk has been produced in China for at least 2,000 years; the technology for tofu-making (coagulating soy milk) dates to the Han Dynasty
Dou jiang: freshly made soy milk — the canonical Chinese breakfast drink. Soybeans soaked overnight, blended with water, strained through cloth, then simmered to deactivate antinutritional factors. Served hot or cold, sweet or savoury. The savoury version (xian dou jiang) is particularly Shanghainese: hot soy milk coagulated with black vinegar, topped with dried shrimp, you tiao, preserved mustard, and chili oil.
Clean, slightly beany, subtly sweet in sweet version; savoury, tangy, complex in xian version
{"Soybeans must be soaked 8+ hours — insufficient soaking produces raw beany flavour","Simmer minimum 15 minutes to denature trypsin inhibitors (anti-nutrients)","Strain twice through cheesecloth for the smoothest result","Xian dou jiang: add hot soy milk to black vinegar — the acid coagulates the protein into silken curds"}
{"The Shanghainese xian dou jiang (savoury curded soy milk) is one of the great breakfasts of China","For sweetened version: rock sugar dissolved in hot soy milk at serving","Some shops add black sesame to sweet soy milk — adds richness and visual contrast"}
{"Not cooking long enough — raw soy milk tastes unpleasant and may cause digestive issues","Insufficient soaking — raw beany taste remains","Using store-bought for xian dou jiang — it must be very hot and freshly made to coagulate properly"}
Land of Fish and Rice — Fuchsia Dunlop