Mock Milk (Egg-White Custard)
Origin: Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Source: Yuan Mei 袁枚, 1792
Ingredients
- egg white
- honey
- sweet rice wine
Instructions
- Combine egg white with honey and sweet rice wine (酒釀). Beat the mixture until it is fully dissolved and homogenous. Transfer to a vessel and steam it over heat. The goal is to achieve a tender, silken texture. Guard the fire (火候) carefully—if the heat sustains too long, the dish becomes tough; likewise, too much egg white will cause toughness. The essence lies in restraint and delicacy of timing.