Soy Milk

Dòujiāng is made by soaking yellow soybeans overnight, grinding them with water, then straining and heating the liquid. The freshly made version — warm, creamy and slightly beany — is quite different from the shelf-stable soy drinks sold in supermarkets. In northern China (particularly Shanghai and the east) the tradition of salty soy milk persists: doujiang is poured boiling into a bowl containing chopped preserved vegetable, dried shrimp, chilli oil, chopped spring onion and a splash of vinegar, which curdles the protein slightly into silky threads. Sweetened doujiang (sugar or osmanthus syrup stirred in) dominates in the south. Doujiang is universally paired with youtiao dough sticks for dipping. Stall operators begin production before 5 am to ensure fresh milk for the breakfast rush. It remains one of China's most consumed morning drinks despite the availability of commercial alternatives.