I Came Home With Only This In My Suitcase

… apart from my clothes and personal effects of course. So, after four days in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, China, this is the only food “souvenir” I have to show for the trip. And it was a gift. The trip was so hectic with an incredibly tightly-packed schedule, I didn’t have time for “leisure”, much less go shopping.

But this dessert is rather unique. I first tasted it at a dinner in a Guangzhou restaurant, and thought it rather interesting… double-boiled buffalo’s milk.

Or at least that was how it was described to me by my host. It is a very smooth, creamy, slightly custardy milk pudding, made from buffalo’s milk. I guess it can be considered sort of like a Chinese panna cotta, perhaps. The evening we had it, it was served sort of cool – i.e. below room temperature – though it can be served both hot and cold. It came topped with red kidney beans that had been cooked in some syrup. I quite enjoyed it.

At the end of dinner, I made a passing comment about the dessert. I can’t remember what I said and what it was about specifically. Whatever it was, it led to me being presented with 3 boxes of the instant version of the pudding the next day – 2 natural and 1 flavored with ginger. That was rather sweet (pun not intended) of my dinner host.

I’m not too sure what the instant ones taste like or whether they can even approximate to the taste of the real thing. I’m sure there is a vast difference between freshly “double-boiled” (although the box calls it “double coating”) buffalo’s milk, and a sachet of dehydrated milk powder, double-boiled or not, that is then reconstituted and allowed to solidify. Still, I’m game to try it. I think it would be lovely served cold. I’m just wondering what other toppings can be used apart from the usual red beans. I’m thinking maybe some boiled gingko nuts would be nice.

I was rather bemused by the picture of the buffalos on the back of the box. The instructions for preparation seem simple enough… empty a sachet into a bowl, add near boiling water, and stir in one direction. Leave to stand for a while, and ta-da! Buffalo milk pudding. It couldn’t get any easier than this.

I’ll let you know how it tastes after I get round to trying it out.

In the meantime, that’s it for the moment, I’m afraid. Regular programming will resume next week.

Have a great weekend!

Copyright © 2004 Renee Kho. All Rights Reserved.
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