Soy Milk and Fried Dough Sticks

Doujiang and youtiao — freshly made soy milk paired with deep-fried dough sticks — are China's archetypal morning combination, sold at street stalls across the country from before dawn and almost universally finished by nine in the morning.

Youtiao (yóutiáo, literally 'oil strips') are made from a leavened wheat dough, relaxed, then cut and pressed into pairs of strips that are lowered into oil at 180–200°C. The two strips stick together and puff during frying, producing a hollow, golden exterior that is crisp when fresh and loses its texture within 20–30 minutes. They are slightly salty, airy inside and carry a faint yeasty flavour from the leavening. The freshly fried version, pulled apart while still hot, is perceptibly different from the pre-made version sitting in a display basket.

Doujiang (dòujiāng) is produced by soaking yellow soybeans overnight, grinding with water, straining out the solid matter (okara) and heating the liquid until it reaches a gentle boil. The freshly produced version is warm, creamy and has a clean, mild beany flavour distinct from the shelf-stable commercial products. It is sold hot, in large quantities.

The regional flavour divide determines how the doujiang is served. In Shanghai and the eastern tradition, salty doujiang (xián dòujiāng) is the default: boiling hot soy milk is poured into a bowl containing dried shrimp, pickled mustard greens (suancai), chilli oil and black rice vinegar. The protein in the milk curdles slightly from the acid, forming silky threads. In northern China a plain sweetened version with rock sugar is more common.

Youtiao is torn into pieces and dunked in the doujiang before eating. The combination — hot milk, crisp bread, sharp or sweet contrasts — needs no elaboration.