Chinese soy milk—the kind that comes in plastic jugs at Asian grocery stores, often unsweetened—is a very different substance than the soy milk you’re likely to find in the dairy case at a typical American supermarket. Chinese soy milk basically consists of ground soy beans and water. What you get is the pure, unadulterated taste of soy. Milk is an uncommon beverage in China, so Chinese soy milk is not manufactured to be a milk substitute the way American soy drinks are. Sometimes you see the Chinese stuff sold as “soybean juice,” an expressive and accurate phrase for the refreshing potion.
American soy milks, on the other hand, contain all kinds of other stuff. Sugar (sometimes euphemistically referred to as “evaporated cane juice”) gives a sweeter, more milklike flavor, and carrageenan gives a thicker, more milklike texture. Vitamins, salt, and vanilla or chocolate flavor are other common additives.
The bottom line: Chinese soy milk tastes completely different from American soy milk. And unlike any soy product you’re likely to find in an American grocery store, Chinese soy milk is usually very freshly pressed. If it’s still piping hot, you’ll know it’s only recently been squeezed from the bean, says Cathy. Try it hot or cold, and sweeten to taste. And definitely dunk freshly fried dough sticks into bowls of hot, sweetened Chinese soy milk, says Blueicus.
Board Link: Chinese Soy Milk Question
They actually have sweetened or unsweetened…the sweetened ones are normally with a yellow cap and the unsweetened are with a white cap (that is how they normally come if you go to an authentic Chinese supermarket). Or you can get it from the mom and pop shop soy bean/noodle shops. They are fresh pressed every morning and are unsweetened.
Thanks for the explanation. When we lived in Silicon Valley in the early ’80s, a friend was courting a waitress at a Chinese restaurant in San Jose, so he would get together a group to go there for Sunday brunch. It was wonderful: sweet soy milk into which we dipped fried cruellers (bao) wrapped in scallion pancake with a touch of hot chili oil; a salty soup, usually vegetable; a few other dishes including maybe a noodle pancake; and a sweet red bean baked pastry the likes of which I haven’t seen since. I always wondered why grocery soy milk, which I don’t like, tasted so different from the Chinese stuff.
I googled “how to make soy milk” and found some answers. I’d like to try this since there are no Chinese markets nearby. Has anyone tried to make soy milk?
BTW, “Martin Yan’s Chinatown Cooking” has recipes for bao which he calls Chinese twisted doughnuts, noodle pancake, and scallion pancake. I haven’t tried the bao yet – been waiting for some correct tasting soy milk.
My parents have bought a soy milk boiler from Hong Kong. Basically you soak the soybeans overnight. Then pour the soaked beans into the machine, add water, and press a button. In 10-15 mins you’ll get freshly cooked soy milk. I usually transfer the soy milk into a saucepan, and simmer it with a tiny piece of ginger. The taste is even better.
I guess if you don’t have the machine at home, you can try ground the soybeans and put them inside a cheesebag. Tie the bag tight, and cook it with water. That’s the idea behind it. I don’t know what the proportion of soybeans to water though.
You can find pandan flavor soymilk as well. It’s distinguishable by the mint color milk.