Given the right balance, simplicity and nostalgia have the power to create something beautiful. I grew up in Hong Kong in the 80s and the iconic soy milk brand Vitasoy is forever part of my childhood. Even their popular jingle agrees. On cold winter days, I remember the warmth of holding a glass bottle of Vitasoy bought from the corner store. The metallic cooler would swap out its icy cold water from sweltering summer days to a warm bath in which the shapely glass bottles waited for eager hands. It was an occasional treat and I remember the difficult decision to choose between regular or malted flavour. While malted milk powder is associated with retro soda fountains in North America, I always think of it as a winter flavour that is a star in its own right.
I went to the local Chinese grocery store to pick up a few things last weekend. Right next to the checkout counter was a shelf loaded with large Tetra-pack containers of Vitasoy soy milk. I never saw them come in 1L size before so I picked up a box of malted flavour without any second thought. The obvious choice would be warming up a mug to sip by the fireplace. But I had other plans.
I rummaged through the pantry and found my bag of Arborio rice and a jar of malted milk powder. With three simple ingredients, I had the making of malted rice pudding. What followed was an unexpectedly long episode of standing by the stove, stirring the pudding patiently while my post-race body ached for comfort of a chair.
The extended simmering proved to be beneficial, however. When the rice grains finally softened and turned creamy, a lot of water evaporated from soy milk and I was left with a concentrated thick liquid that screamed malt. It was not the polite nutty background supporting role I am used to tasting. It was “taste me! taste me! Am I malty enough for you?”. I loved it. So here is a warming dessert that embraces simplicity and evokes nostalgia for those who grew up in Hong Kong. I hope you enjoy my Malted Rice Pudding.
Malted Rice Pudding
serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 cups of malted soy milk (preferably Vitasoy)
- 1/4 cup of Arborio rice
- 1/4 cup of malted milk powder (such as Horlicks or Ovaltine)
Method
- Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to boil.
- Turn heat down to simmer and stir continuously for about 30-45minutes (if your rice grains are normal) until soft and creamy. Or in my case, the cooking took double the time.
- Serve immediately.
