Chinese Southern Almond (Apricot Kernel) Milk

This recipe is used only twice in this book, but I feel that it deserves a little bit of explaining, not only because it’s one of my favorite things in the world, but also because it can confuse the shit out of people.

Chinese southern almond (apricot kernel) milk? Am I talking about almonds or apricot kernels? Despite my lifelong adoration of this ingredient, it actually took me several years to understand it.

In Mandarin Chinese, apricot kernel is 杏仁 (杏 is “apricot”; 仁 is “kernel”), and it’s a very common ingredient all over Asia. But where it gets confusing is that in Chinese, American almond is translated as 美國杏仁 (“American apricot kernel”), and with reverse logic, apricot kernels in English are labeled “Chinese almonds.” In fact, to buy apricot kernels on Amazon, you have to search for “Chinese almonds” or nothing will come up. So people often confuse these two ingredients, which have completely different flavors and aromas. To make matters even more confusing, almond extract, which is made from bitter almond, actually tastes exactly like apricot kernel. And amaretto, the liqueur that tastes like almond extract, is actually—yes—made from apricot kernels.

So, when I say Chinese southern almond, I’m not talking about almonds of any kind. I’m talking about apricot kernel—southern apricot kernel, to be exact. Because Chinese northern apricot kernel is actually poisonous.

MAKES 3½ CUPS

1 cup (120 g) Chinese southern almond/apricot kernels (see Note)

2 tablespoons unsalted roasted peanuts

4 cups (960 mL) boiling water

1. Place the Chinese southern almonds and peanuts in a blender, add the boiling water, cover, and soak them for 2 hours. Blend on high for 2 full minutes (don’t estimate—time it).

2. Pour the mixture into a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes. Let cool.

3. Strain the mixture through a fine cheesecloth, squeezing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Store the liquid in an airtight bottle in the fridge for up to 1 week. (Freezing almond milk is not ideal because the milk will separate after thawing. Reblending it on high speed may bring it back together, but the overall texture and taste may be affected.)

NOTE ON CHINESE SOUTHERN ALMONDS: You can find peeled and dried southern apricot kernels in most Chinese supermarkets or online. They will usually be labeled “Chinese southern almonds” or “Chinese sweet almonds.”