Soy Milk and Fried Dough Sticks

Doujiang (soy milk) and youtiao (deep-fried dough sticks) have been a morning staple across China — especially in the north and east — for centuries. The youtiao are made from a simple leavened dough, two strips pressed together and deep-fried until they puff hollow and golden. They are crisp outside, airy inside and slightly salty. The doujiang is freshly ground from yellow soybeans, served warm and either unsweetened (salty) or with a little sugar (sweet) depending on regional preference — Shanghai and northern China favour the salty version seasoned with dried shrimp, pickled mustard greens and chilli oil; further north a plain sweet version is more common. The youtiao is torn apart and dunked into the soy milk before eating. This combination is eaten standing at street stalls, sold from early morning and usually finished by 9 am.