Nailao is a chilled, custard-soft milk curd set with fermented glutinous rice wine, sweet with a faint wine aroma, once a court delicacy and now sold in small bowls from old Niujie shops.
Where to eat it: 1 restaurant across 1 city.
In the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, nailao was served only at court. The original method mixed fresh milk with fermented glutinous rice wine, baked the mixture in a wooden cask and cooled it in an ice cellar. Wei Hongchen founded the shop Lin Ji Lao Pu in 1888, and in 1988 it was renamed Nailao Wei. Its nailao is known for a tender texture, a milky fragrance and a weak note of wine. Beijing's tourism office describes it as a snack people can make at home.
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Common allergens: Milk
Tip from the editors. Do not stir or move the bowls while they set; if the curd is still liquid after 8 hours, add a little more jiuniang liquid and keep it warm.
Nailao Wei's main store on Guang'anmen Inner Street in Beijing, founded in 1888, sells nailao, a smooth fermented milk curd with a faint rice wine aroma.
TryNailao, Beijing fermented milk curd with a faint rice wine aroma
TipAsk for the palace-style nailao; Ctrip also lists almond jelly, fried milk and double-skin milk, and the unit is Room 107 at No. 202.
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