Hot, freshly made soy milk curdled tableside with vinegar and soy sauce into silky curds, topped with dried shrimp, scallion, crispy fried dough, and chili oil — Taiwan's most sophisticated breakfast.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Presentation Guide
Vessel: large ceramic bowl
Garnishes: scallion, chili oil, you tiao pieces
Accompaniments: shao bing (sesame flatbread), you tiao (fried dough)
Instructions
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1
In each serving bowl, add 1 tbsp black vinegar, 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, half the dried shrimp, half the preserved mustard greens, and half the scallion.
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2
Heat soy milk until it just reaches a rolling boil. Do not let it boil over.
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3
Immediately pour the hot soy milk into the prepared bowls from a height. The vinegar will curdle the soy milk into delicate, silky curds.
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4
Top with torn you tiao pieces, a drizzle of chili oil, and a few drops of sesame oil.
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5
Serve immediately while the curds are still forming and the you tiao is absorbing the savory broth.
Did You Know?
The curdling of soy milk with vinegar is essentially the same chemistry as making tofu — savory soy milk is like eating the earliest stage of tofu production.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- pot
- bowls
- ladle
Garnishing
scallion, chili oil, you tiao pieces
Accompaniments
shao bing (sesame flatbread), you tiao (fried dough)
The Story Behind 鹹豆漿
Savory soy milk was brought to Taiwan by mainlander refugees after 1949 and became a cornerstone of Taiwanese breakfast culture. The classic pairing of xián dòu jiāng with shāo bǐng (sesame flatbread) and yóu tiáo (fried dough) represents a breakfast trinity that has been served at traditional Taiwanese breakfast shops for over 70 years. The theatrical moment when hot soy milk hits vinegar and curdles in front of you is one of the great sensory experiences of Taiwanese food.
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