Traditional Beijing Imperial Milk Cheese

Traditional Beijing Imperial Milk Cheese

　　   Milk cheese was a common daily snack and sweet treat among the Manchus. In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican era, there were only about ten milk cheese shops in and around old Beijing. In the early days, Xiang Lei Xuan inside Xihua Gate, Er He Yi near Gan Shi Bridge, and Er He Xuan on West Chang’an Avenue were the most renowned. Later, as Dashilan in Qianmen became increasingly bustling, a milk cheese shop also opened in Menkuai Hutong.

　　   By the 1920s, due to Wangfujing Street’s proximity to the Legation Quarter, where Chinese and foreigners mixed, Dong’an Market became the shopping center of the northeastern part of the city. A milk cheese shop named Feng Sheng Gong opened on the main street of Dong’an Market. Thanks to the shop owner’s novel marketing methods—including hiring a former imperial chef who specialized in dairy products during the Qing Dynasty, plus the hype given by tour guides to foreign customers—Feng Sheng Gong quickly rose to prominence, enjoying unmatched popularity for a time.

　　   Milk cheese was originally invented by northern ethnic minorities, also known as dairy cheese or curd cheese, and is a semi-solid food made from cow’s milk. The traditional method involves pouring prepared fresh milk and glutinous rice wine into small bowls, then baking them in a pine barrel, and finally cooling them with ice to solidify. Although this method is traditional, it is time-consuming and labor-intensive, making it unsuitable for home preparation. However, I’ve just learned a simple way to quickly make imperial milk cheese at home using a microwave, which I’d like to share with everyone. It’s so easy to learn and do that even kids can make it without any trouble. Just mix the rice wine liquid and milk in a certain proportion, put it in the microwave for just three minutes, and a famous bowl of imperial milk cheese is ready. Cheese lovers must give it a try. Once you learn this trick, you’ll never have to spend a lot of money or wait in long lines to buy milk cheese again. It’s truly amazing—take a bite, and your mouth will be instantly filled with the rich flavor of milk blended with the mellow aroma of glutinous rice wine. It’s simply delicious.

　　   Glutinous rice wine, also called laozao, jiuzao, jiuniang, sweet wine, sweet glutinous rice wine, glutinous rice wine, or Jiangmi wine, is available for purchase in supermarkets. Though simple and quick to make, it still sets very firmly—you can easily lift a porcelain soup spoon with it. You can also heat the milk in advance to evaporate some moisture, but remember to wait until the milk has cooled to a warm temperature before mixing it with the glutinous rice wine liquid, otherwise it may turn mushy. You can also top the milk cheese with some honeyed red beans or dried fruits of your preferred flavor for a unique twist.

　　   Remember to use a wide-mouthed container for making it if possible—the finished product will turn out better. The firmness of the milk cheese greatly depends on the quality of the ingredients, so when purchasing glutinous rice wine, be sure to choose a thick and viscous one.