🍽️ Yogurt

Fermented yak milk, tangy and thick.

Qinghai yogurt is a common fermented dairy on Xining's streets. Yak or cow milk is naturally fermented in small bowls, topped by a pale yellow skin and thick as soft tofu. It is tangy and rich with deep milky aroma, usually sprinkled with a little sugar or honey, served cool and smooth. Compared with lowland yogurt, it is thicker, more tart and more aromatic, a product of the plateau's day-night temperature swing. Sold at night and morning markets for a few yuan a bowl, it cuts grease and refreshes, especially in summer, and is a familiar everyday dessert for Xining locals.