How to Make Chinese Breakfast in Germany: Soy Milk, You Tiao, and Scallion Pancakes

After leaving China, what you miss most is often breakfast. German breakfast culture, with its bread and cheese, is great—but you won’t get soy milk and you tiao unless you make them yourself. The good news: you can recreate these Chinese breakfast staples in Germany using local ingredients, and it’s easier than you think.

Soy Milk (豆浆)

Ingredients

• Dried soybeans (Sojabohnen): 100g, soaked overnight
• Water: about 1 liter
• Sugar or salt (to taste)

You can buy soybeans at Asian supermarkets, and also in the organic section of regular German supermarkets (Edeka/Rewe). A 500g bag costs around €2–3.

Instructions

1. Soak dried soybeans in water for 8–12 hours until fully expanded.
2. Drain and add 1 liter of fresh water. Blend in a high-speed blender for 2 minutes.
3. Strain through a fine cloth or nut milk bag, squeezing out the liquid.
4. Pour the soy milk into a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent sticking.
5. Once boiling, reduce to low heat and simmer for 5 minutes (raw soy milk contains saponins and must be fully cooked).
6. Add sugar or salt to taste, and serve hot.

Note: Soy milk can foam up before it actually boils (false boil). Keep heating until it truly boils, then time 5 minutes. Otherwise, drinking undercooked soy milk can make you feel unwell.

Comparison with German Alternatives

German supermarkets sell plenty of Sojamilch/Sojadrink, but the taste and texture are quite different from Chinese soy milk—industrial versions contain emulsifiers and sweeteners, lack the bean aroma, and are thinner. Homemade soy milk takes 10 minutes of active work and costs about €0.3 per liter—totally worth it.

You Tiao (油条 / Fried Dough Sticks)

You tiao is a bit more challenging because Germany doesn’t have the exact low-gluten flour and aluminum-free baking powder combo. But with German ingredients, you can still get great results.

Ingredients (makes 6–8 sticks)

• All-purpose flour (Weizenmehl Type 550): 300g
• Salt: 3g
• Baking soda (Natron): 3g
• Aluminum-free baking powder (Backpulver ohne Aluminium, available at Reformhaus): 5g
• Egg: 1
• Water: about 160ml (warm)
• Cooking oil for frying (rapeseed oil Rapsöl works fine): enough for deep frying

Instructions

1. Mix all dry ingredients. Add egg and warm water, knead into a smooth dough. Do not over-knead (to avoid too much gluten development).
2. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 1–2 hours.
3. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 1cm thick. Cut into strips about 2cm wide.
4. Stack two strips together, press a chopstick down the middle to seal them, then stretch to about 20cm long.
5. Heat oil to 180–190°C (test: a small piece of dough should float and expand within 3 seconds). Fry until golden brown, turning constantly. Drain on paper towels.

Key point: The oil temperature must be high enough. If it’s too low, the you tiao won’t puff up and will absorb too much oil. Use a kitchen thermometer (available at Kaufland/Lidl for about €5–10).

Scallion Pancakes (葱油饼)

Scallion pancakes are much easier than you tiao, with simpler ingredients. Definitely worth a try.

Ingredients (makes 2–3 pancakes)

• Flour (Type 550): 200g
• Hot water: about 110ml
• Salt: 3g
• Scallions (Frühlingszwiebeln): a bunch, available at any German supermarket
• Sesame oil (Sesamöl, from Asian supermarket): a small amount
• Rapeseed oil: as needed

Instructions

1. Mix flour and salt. Add hot water (about 80°C), stir with chopsticks until flaky. Once cool enough to handle, knead into a smooth dough. Rest for 20 minutes.
2. Finely chop the scallions.
3. Roll the dough into a thin sheet. Brush with a thin layer of rapeseed oil, sprinkle with salt and scallions, and drizzle a little sesame oil.
4. Roll up the sheet into a log, then coil it into a spiral. Roll out again into a thin pancake (the layers come from this rolling and coiling process).
5. Heat a pan with a little oil over medium heat. Fry each side until golden brown, about 3–4 minutes per side.

Serve scallion pancakes hot, paired with soy milk—perfect.

Common Chinese Ingredient Substitutions in Germany

Summary

Soy milk, you tiao, and scallion pancakes—all three can be made in Germany. Soy milk is the easiest, needing only a blender. You tiao is a bit trickier, with the key being oil temperature and not over-kneading the dough. Scallion pancakes are the fastest, ready in 20 minutes. Having a taste of home for breakfast in Germany can set you up for a much better day.