Tea Leaves

When I first had my kid we thought my milk consumption was causing some of his fussiness (we were wrong) so I tried soy for a while. I got hooked on the vanilla stuff and haven't gone back. They just shouldn't call it milk. It does some things well (like hang out with cereal) and many others less well. It ain't milk. But I like it.

Soy milk is actually a staple in Northern China, where they serve it hot for breakfast with deep fried crueller-like dough things.

They don't call it milk though. More like "bean juice".

They call it "bean juice" in Korean too. The trouble with most NAmericans "switching" to cow milk from soy milk is expecting soy milk to taste like cow milk. In places where soy milk is the norm, it's not considered a "replacement" for cow milk -- it's just another type of drink altogether. Same goes for "substituting" meat for tofu, etc.

Meaning -- If you wanna try a healthy drink with a sweet, nutty taste, you'll love soy milk :) If you want cow milk with soy benefits, just eat edamame and drink milk afterwards.

I would have no gripe with soy milk if people didn't constantly try to use it as a replacement for cow, goat, or sheep milk.

Is someone trying to make you take soy milk in your fair trade coffee?

...while serving me tepid little vegan sandwiches made with "tofurkey".

Better tofurkey than soysage.

I have bean juice with brekky but have moo juice with tea. Sometimes have bean juice with coffee...

On another note, has anyone tried rice milk? Now that was pretty bad...

I have no point here, I just feel like saying tosciutto.

Rice milk is brilliant when it's in the form of horchata. Mmmmm, horchata. I agree that hot plain bean juice is great, but in coffee (especially cappuccino or latte) it is totally evil and repulsive.

I agree, horchata is supurb, but I've had rice milk by itself and they don't have a lot in common ... from memory (and engaging google-brain) horchata has cinnamon, almonds, and lime in it - what wouldn't taste good with those? :)

Rice Dream is suprisingly good -- think frozen horchata. It's not ice cream, of course, but it's good anyway.

Soy milk can substitute perfectly for milk in many (but not all) recipes where you cook/bake the milk and need it for the protein consistency, rather than for the taste. Mashed potatoes for instance (just drop a dollop of butter / sour cream / whatever into your own portion).

These are tricks I developed for being able to eat with my vegan friend on a student budget (i.e. cooking). Now that his wife has converted him to eggs and dairy, these skills of mine will quickly degenerate.

At least his wife fixed him.

The notion that soy milk is a perfectly acceptable substitute in mashed potatoes is a filthy lie.

I lived with a vegan for a year or so, and by the end of it I probably would have killed a man for nice butter-and-milk-filled mashed potatoes.

You can make edible mashed potatoes with soy, sure, but it's just not the same thing at all.

I've never understood how americans get so worked up over mashed tubers.

I'll raise Benoit one -- I don't get people's love for butter. Especially the cold kind, served with rolls at most restaurants -- Why the hell would I slap that artery-clogging shit onto a perfectly good roll?

Paul, that's what I'm saying: rice milk alone = watery and uninteresting. Rice milk with almonds and cinnamon = happy happy joy joy.

I'm with Green LA Girl about the nasty cold butter on rolls, but good butter in shortbread, madeleines, pound cake, or with shallots on top of carrots or brussels sprouts...is truly a grand thing.

Using margarine or some other substitute in any of the above would be nightmarish.

More pointless soy food - Soyafe, a soy-based coffee "substitute":

http://www.organicsofoz.com/items/rsn180.asp

Why slap it on a roll?

Obvious, because it tastes GOOD.

Soy "Milk" is just nasty nasty chalky sediment. It is something that people on fear factor would refuse to eat.

Meanwhile on the Animal Planet show Animal Precinct:

http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/animalprecinct/episode/episode_02.html

Episode #13 — Dangerous Diet
Blinded vegitarian cats.

I love the internet. Alongside the rants about soy milk are...ads for soy milk!

So my wife and I were travelling a few years back and were in Hong Kong. We had reservations at a place that was done up as a Shanghai night club from the 1920s, with live Chinese jazz from that period.

It was popular and our table wasn't ready when we arrived. So while loitering the wait staff asked if we'd like a drink, on the house. I said I'd like a scotch and soda and my wife a glass of house white wine. The waiter came back with "bean juice" or "bean cream", in a big wine stem. He said it was "very special". Uh huh.

We didn't drink much of it. Not saying you couldn't like it, but I think it would be an acquired taste. But amusingly, they would'nt take it away, even after we ordered a bottle of wine.

Waiter: "Don't you like the bean cream sir?"
Me: "We're not used to it, so a little goes a long way. I think we're finished"
Waiter (smirking): "Maybe you'll change your mind. I'll leave it here."
Me: "No really... He's gone. Damn."

This went on the entire meal, which was otherwise excellent. I think they decided we were good sports, and so brought out free dessert that was actually good, a coconut creme brulee sort of thing.

Like with anything there are good kinds and bad kinds of everything. If you tried soy milk once and didn't like it keep in mind that many brands thus flavors exist... and don't expect it to taste exactly like milk. It's much better! :) I personally find all rice milk disgusting (chalky) but can't get enough soy. Usually the refrigerated versions of soy milk are best, like the Silk brand. Vanilla or Natural, try both.

Mmmm... rice milk. I liked cow and goat milk when we had cows and goats. And when I was small enough to be allowed, people milk must have been good too I'm sure. But drinking a glass of milk, ugh! Disgusting flavor. It bakes nicely. It makes wonderful ice cream, yogurt, cheese, or butter. But to just toss back a glass of cow mammary gland excretions that have been run through machines and sat in a jug for ages... yuck.