Making soymilk is like alchemy. Turning America’s underappreciated cash crop into a delectable, smooth drink feels like magic. However, this recipe is not for the faint-hearted. It requires a good amount of niche home kitchen equipment and a couple hours of work.

You might be surprised by the scale of America’s soybean crop. It’s second only to big corn and far outstrips wheat and every other crop, but it has low visibility to the average consumer because almost all of it is pressed into vegetable oil and livestock feed and/or exported. Tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy sauce, and soymilk comprise a vanishingly small percentage of the crop.

This project started back in September 2020, when my college friend Alvin and I were discussing pandemic cooking projects. He had been reading some soybean scientific literature and refining his formulation for “delicious, reproducible soymilk” using a few uncommon techniques like applying boiling water to soak and slow-cooking. Then, in the winter, several times I tried buying bottled soymilk from Chinatown and found it overly sweet and—even worse—spoiled and slimy. I asked my friend for tips, and he generously shared his recipe notes and even supplied me with a starter bag of soybeans (thanks!!).

Since then, I’ve cooked 24 batches, so most weeks. There’s been lots of titration, experimentation, and tasting. We’re finding soybean skins and okara crumbs everywhere in the kitchen.