Doujiang, fresh soy milk, is the backbone of the Shanghai breakfast. It is ladled hot from big steaming pots at breakfast stalls, sweet or savory, and drunk alongside crisp fried dough sticks, sesame flatbreads and sticky rice rolls. Shanghai counts soy milk, fried dough sticks, flatbread and the rice roll as the four great pillars of breakfast, and a city that sets its day on that foundation is clearly a serious one.

Homemade soy milk tastes nothing like the cartons: it is rich, sweet with toasted grain notes and faintly like fresh cream. It needs nothing more than dried soybeans, water, a blender and a little patience, plus one firm rule, that it must be properly cooked. Sweeten it lightly and drink it hot on a cold race morning, or chill it for a warm afternoon.

Soaking and grinding

Ingredients

• 1 cup (180 g) dried yellow soybeans
• 4 cups (950 ml) cold water
• 6 cups (1.4 liters) fresh cold water

Method

1. Rinse the beans, put them in the bowl with the 4 cups soaking water and leave in a cool place or the fridge for 8 to 12 hours.
2. Drain and rinse the beans. If you like, rub them between your palms under water to loosen the skins and pour off the skins that float; this makes the milk a little smoother, but it is optional.
3. Blend half the beans with 3 cups (720 ml) of the fresh water on high for 2 minutes. Pour into the lined sieve or nut milk bag set over the large bowl. Repeat with the rest.
4. Gather the bag or cloth and squeeze firmly to press out as much milk as possible. Be patient; this takes a few minutes.

Cooking and sweetening

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 tablespoons (40 to 50 g) sugar
• 1 pinch fine salt

Method

1. Pour the raw soy milk into the large pot and set over medium heat. Stir the bottom of the pot every minute at first, then constantly once steam rises.
2. As the foam rises, turn the heat down to medium low and keep stirring the bottom. Skim off the foam with the ladle and discard it. Once the milk is bubbling gently under the foam, set a timer and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring constantly along the bottom.
3. Turn off the heat, stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved, and taste. Add more sugar a teaspoon at a time if you like.

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