Literally translated as “honey sour milk”, these traditional ceramic jars of goodness are the best yogurt I’ve had. Forget the expensive imported tubs and pick up a jar of this fresh yogurt made and delivered every morning to your local xiaomaibu (provision shop) and finish it on the spot. They also recycle all the jars, so that’s another one up for the environment.
Last I checked, you don’t have to worry about hygiene or getting your stomach upset, its safe unless you have a very sensitive stomach or just very paranoid. Better yet, it’s made on a farm so definitely no melamine risk?
From a design point of view, the typography and font printed on the waxed paper held over the mouth of the jar with a rubber band reminds one of a zodiac wheel, with it’s contents printed in both English and Mandarin. This local yogurt contains the same bacteria you would find in all your imported yogurts, Streptococcus Thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus for just a fraction of the price at RMB2.50 (25 euro cents), return the jar and you sometimes get 50 cents back.
I hope this traditional Beijing drink doesn’t disappear like the rest of the old city.
