Ginger milk curd
Hot milk poured onto fresh old-ginger juice sets into a silky curd within minutes — sweet with a fiery kick, warming the stomach and chasing away the chill.
- 15 min
- Serves 2
- Heat
- Medium
Why it suits you: A yang-deficient constitution feels the cold, and long hours in summer air-conditioning chill the hands and feet further while you crave iced drinks. Old ginger dispels cold and warms the stomach and milk nourishes, so this warm dessert is a good summer stand-in for ice cream and cold drinks.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 5 min- 1Peel and grate the ginger and squeeze it through muslin to get about 2 tbsp juice. Divide between two bowls and stir just before using.
- 2Heat the milk and sugar over low heat to about 70–75°C, when small bubbles form at the edge but it isn't boiling. Turn off the heat.
- 3Pour the hot milk from a height into the ginger juice in one go. Don't stir; cover and leave for 3–5 minutes until set.
Cautions
- Not for those with yin-deficient heat, a dry mouth, sore throat or damp-heat; avoid if allergic to milk.
Chef's tips
- Milk temperature is everything — too hot or too cool and it won't set, so a thermometer helps. Use old ginger; young ginger sets poorly.
The TCM view
Old ginger is pungent and slightly warm, warming the middle, easing nausea and dispelling cold; it is hotter and spicier than young ginger. Milk is sweet and neutral, tonifying depletion and benefiting the lungs and stomach; sugar eases the middle. Together they warm the middle, scatter cold and nourish the stomach, helping to fend off the chill of air-conditioning and cold food.
