We tend to think of soy as just another dairy alternative alongside almonds, oats and rice. But pay a visit to Huadou, the soy concept store that opened in 2019 in the Linienstraße, and you will discover just what this humble bean offers. Greeting you are rows of traditional stone mills for grinding the soybeans into milk, as well as little bamboo boxes which you use to press tofu at one of the workshops. For soy self-sufficiency you can take one of these beautiful machines home, but the in-house cafe’s soy creations – made from Bavarian-grown organic beans – are not to be missed either. Served in a hot coffee or iced matcha latte, their delicate, smooth milk is a world away from shop-bought soy, while the radical triple-soy ice cream is an umami-sweet treat combining soy milk, soy sauce and roasted soy meal. Chinese-born founders Mengya Huang and Sibo Peng love to experiment, but they also cherish soy’s 5000-year role in East Asian culture and cooking, and it shows. Whether it’s curd, sauce or milk, this is the place to discover, create and enjoy traditionally-made soy. (Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Ramona Razaghmanesh)
Huadou, Linienstr.205, 10119 Berlin–Mitte; map
Cafe open daily 12–19h
Private tofu making workshops can be reserved online.
@huadou.berlin
