Double Skin Milk

Double skin milk () is a Chinese dessert made of milk, egg whites, and sugar. It originated from Shunde, Guangdong. It is a velvety smooth milk custard somewhat resembling panna cotta, with two skins. The first skin is formed during cooling of the boiled milk and the second when cooling the cooked custard. Traditionally, buffalo milk is used; its higher fat content compared to cow's milk produces a smooth texture. The usage of milk from the swamp buffalo in China is unusual because of the low yield of milk as compared with that of cows and river buffalo used in the rest of the world. This dessert is particularly popular in Shunde, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Macau, and Hong Kong.

Double skin milk is rich in protein, calcium, and lactose.

History

Double skin milk originated in the Daliang, Shunde in Guangdong. It is said to have been created by Grandma Dong in Qing Dynasty in Shunde. At that time, there was no refrigeration and the temperature was always high in Guangdong. Cowherd Grandma Dong found difficulties in storing milk. In one experiment, she boiled the milk and found a skin formed on the milk after cooling it down. The skin was surprisingly delicious. Hence, she started to sell milk with skin in her store and the products became popular in the neighborhood. However, milk with skin tended to spill easily during transportation. To solve this problem, Grandma Dong added egg white to the milk, which allowed the milk to curdle after boiling. After several improvements, contemporary double skin milk developed, with Grandma Dong credited as the originator. Nowadays, the skills used in making double skin milk are listed as part of Shunde's intangible cultural heritage.

Double skin milk has remained popular despite a competitive market for traditional food in China. Traditional double skin milk has been combined with new food trends while its traditional essence is retained.

In 2018, double skin milk was declared a Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage.

In media

Double-skin milk was included in the second episode of 2016 TV series ''A Bite of Shunde''. The series was filmed by the direction team of A Bite of China and records numerous famous and delicious dishes in Shunde. In the 2nd episode of A Bite of Shunde, at 00:7:00-00:08:11, the documentary reveals the recipes and cooking process of this dessert, and grants the title of "Proud of Shunde".

Development and inheritance

Double skin milk and milk tea

In March 2022, the fourth generation inheritor of Minxin, Zhanzhong Liang, launched the newest product of double skin milk, Double Skin Milk Milk Tea, under his brand Milk Forest. The Chief Brand Officer of Foshan Minxin Catering Service Co., LTD, Shuyun Deng, said the product was meant to appeal to younger generations. Liang's double-skin milk tea combined milk tea with double-skin milk. Recently, mango pomelo sago favor, matcha red bean flavor, and brown sugar bubble flavor are the most popular flavors in the shops, with more than 300 bottles of sales per day.

Double skin milk and KFC

In 2021 November, KFC and Chinese brand Taotaoju launched K Double Skin Milk.

Double skin milk inheritance

An activity for primary school students to learn the skill of intangible cultural heritage in Guangzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritance Base, Jiucheng Academy, under the leadership of the third-generation inheritor of He Thirteen Double Skin Milk, He Zhilian. He introduces the meaning behind the name of double skin milk and presents the skills of producing this dessert in the activity. Students and teachers are able to learn and cook the dessert by themselves in the event.

A series of short videos, Little Cantonese Chef, is launched by The Department of Human Resources and Social Welfare of Guangdong Province cooperated with Shunde Vocational and Technical College, Guangdong Light Industry Technician College, and Guangdong Culinary Technical School during International Children's Day. The first episode of the series, The Capital of World Cuisine-Shunde, is showing students how to produce a double-skin milk.

Double skin milk museum

Minxin since 1930 establishes the Double Skin Milk Museum at 1 Huagaili street in Daliang. This museum includes an experiential catering format, which allows the visitors to experience the production process of double-skin milk while having a taste of this dessert.

Double skin milk powder

Homemade double skin milk has given way to packaged powders which can be found in supermarkets.

Double skin milk topping

There are creative cooking methods of double skin milk that increase the diversity of its flavor. People like to add different topping on the final product, for example, sweet ormosia, tapioca pudding, honey, fruit like mangos and so on.

Ingredients

* 500 ml whole milk – High-fat content is essential for a rich flavor and thick milk skin. Low-fat or skim milk is not recommended.
* 1 egg white – Only the egg white is needed; it helps the milk set into a custard.
* Granulated sugar, to taste – Adjust according to personal preference.

Preparation

# Heat the milk: Pour the milk into a clean, shallow bowl. Place the bowl on a rack inside a pot with water reaching halfway up the bowl. Cover the pot and heat over medium heat. When small bubbles appear at the edges (around 80°C or 176°F), immediately turn off the heat—do not let the milk boil.
# Form the first milk skin: Carefully remove the bowl from the pot and place it on a flat surface. Do not move or stir the milk. Let it cool naturally until a wrinkled layer of milk skin forms on the surface. This may take 15–20 minutes.
# Prepare the egg white mixture: While waiting for the milk to cool, gently beat the egg white in a separate clean, dry bowl until it is fully mixed (do not whip or create foam). Add sugar and stir lightly until dissolved.
# Combine milk and egg white: Once the milk skin has formed, use a spoon to gently open a small slit on the edge of the skin. Carefully pour out most of the milk into the egg white mixture, leaving the skin intact at the bottom. Mix well and strain through a fine sieve for smooth texture.
# Recombine under the skin: Gently pour the milk–egg white mixture back into the original bowl through the slit, letting it flow underneath the milk skin.
# Steam the custard: Steam the bowl over boiling water. Once the water boils, reduce to low-medium heat and steam for about 8 minutes. Check doneness by gently shaking the bowl—the center should jiggle slightly like soft tofu.
# Final setting: After steaming, turn off the heat and leave the bowl covered in the pot for 2–3 minutes. Then remove and let cool to room temperature. It can be served warm or chilled for an even smoother texture.

See also

* Milk skin
*List of Chinese desserts
*Dairy product
* List of sweet puddings

References

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Custard desserts
Cantonese desserts
Dairy products