Dou Jiang is a breakfast food that's very common in north part of China, especially in Beijing. People often eaten for breakfast with deep-fried crullers, and forms the basis of Salty Soybean Milk Soup.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 pound soybeans • 2 cups sugar

PREPARATION: Rinse the soybeans until the water runs clear. Put the beans in a pot and add water. (The water should be three times the amount of the soybeans).

Soak the beans until they expand to 2 or 2 1/2 times.

In hot weather, soak the beans for 6 to 8 hours; in cold weather, soak the beans for 12 - 14 hours.

Drain the beans and discard the soaking water. Add 7 more cups of water. Blend the beans and water in several batches until the beans are finely blended.

Place the beans and 8 cups water in a cheesecloth bag; squeeze out the liquid. Retain the liquid and discard the sediment left in the cheesecloth bag.

Bring the retained soybean liquid to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes to remove the strong taste from the beans. Add sugar to the soybean milk and serve.