Nai lao is a traditional Chinese dessert soup made with milk, rice wine, and a little sugar. It is cooked in small ramekins or wooden barrels and served with nuts and raisins. The key is finding the right balance between sweet and creamy milk and rice wine.
A thinner custard than the Westernized version, nai lao is a generations-old Chinese treat made with a few simple ingredients. Translated as “imperial custard,” this cold dessert soup is popular in and around Beijing, but is quite obscure to foreigners. What sets it apart is the acidic tone that’s created by adding rice wine to plain custard, which is only slightly sweetened by a little sugar. A garnish of nuts and raisins adds texture when serving.
Traditionally, nai lao custard is cooked in tiny wooden yogurt barrels heated over hot coals. Other chefs use a steam bath method or simply use an oven set to low until the custard is thicker in texture. The key to doing it right is finding the right balance between sweet and creamy milk and rice wine. When done correctly, very little extra sugar should be needed.
The process of making nai lao begins by heating the milk over low heat until it is just about to boil, which removes much of the bacteria. Chefs usually use a large skillet on the stove for this part of the preparation. If using cream, no sugar should be needed. When using whole milk, many add some sugar when heating. Covered and left to cool, the cream is then poured through a sieve to remove any impurities.
The rice wine is combined with the cream just before going into the oven or barrel at about 200°F (or about 90°C). Many use about one part wine to three parts cream, slowly whisking it into the milk, until it becomes slightly frothy. In about half an hour, the custard should thicken to a creamy consistency with a whitish color. Some cook bowls of custard longer at a lower temperature to better combine the flavors.
Nai lao does not cook all together in one bowl, as the texture would not be uniform. Instead, small oven-safe custard ramekins are used, one for each person to be served. A few raisins are tossed in the bottom of each ramekin, along with some variety of crushed nuts, such as sunflower seeds or walnuts. Then, the nai lao is poured over the top, leaving a small lip at the top of the ramekin to expand the cream.
If a barrel is used, the stencils are stacked inside when the container has reached the right temperature. When cooking in an oven, center racks should be used to help the final product take on an even texture. The treat is officially ready after a short cooling in the refrigerator.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
