Introduction: If Shunde’s savory dishes are defined by precision, its desserts are defined by richness and innovation. Thanks to the abundance of high-quality water buffalo milk, Shunde has created a unique dairy-based dessert culture. This piece takes you into the sweet side of "Phoenix Town," exploring the history and artistry behind these global sweet sensations.

1. Daliang Double-Skin Milk (大良双皮奶): The Queen of Chinese Dairy Desserts

• History and Heritage: Originating in the Daliang area around the late Qing Dynasty, legend has it that a local woman, Mrs. Dong, discovered this dish when boiling buffalo milk. It is named for the two distinct layers of skin that form during its unique preparation.

• Preparation and Craftsmanship: The essential ingredient is water buffalo milk (known for its high fat content). The process involves twice heating and twice resting. The first layer of skin is removed, the milk is mixed with egg whites, and then the mixture is poured back beneath the first skin for a final steam, creating the second, delicate layer. Temperature control is the absolute key to success.

• Taste Profile: The texture is incomparably silken and melts instantly in the mouth. It boasts a rich, creamy, and profound milk flavor, balanced by a subtle sweetness. It is the pinnacle of Chinese custard.

2. Ginger Bumping Milk (姜撞奶): A Magical Enzyme-Based Creation

• History and Heritage: A traditional folk dessert, Jiang Zhuang Nai utilizes a fascinating natural chemistry. It is known for its warming properties and simplicity, making it a beloved local comfort food.

• Preparation and Craftsmanship: The craft lies in the "bumping"—the rapid pouring of hot milk into fresh ginger juice. The ginger protease enzyme can only coagulate the milk proteins within a very narrow window of temperature, precisely 70–80°C. A drop too high or too low, and the dessert fails to set.

• Taste Profile: The texture is incredibly smooth and tender, like a delicate tofu or panna cotta. It has a pronounced, sweet milk flavor accompanied by the gentle, warming spice of fresh ginger.

3. Deep-Fried Milk (炸牛奶): The Creative Contradiction of Texture

• History and Heritage: This dessert is a showcase of the Shunde chefs' innovative spirit—turning liquid milk into a solid that can be deep-fried. It challenges the conventional perception of dairy desserts.

• Preparation and Craftsmanship: Water buffalo milk, starch, and sugar are cooked down into a thick paste and left to chill until solid. The solid pieces are then lightly battered and flash-fried. The required technique is to achieve a perfect "crispy on the outside, soft on the inside" finish, ensuring the rich milk filling remains hot and molten.

• Taste Profile: The outer shell is shatteringly crisp. Biting into it releases a rush of hot, liquid-like, rich milk custard. It's a delightful juxtaposition of textures and a paradise for milk lovers.

4. Lunjao Cake (伦教糕): The Ancient Spring of Lingnan Rice Desserts

• History and Heritage: Originating in the Lunjao township during the Ming Dynasty, this cake is one of the Four Famous Cakes of Lingnan. It represents the region's ancient tradition of fermented rice cuisine.

• Preparation and Craftsmanship: It is made from fine rice flour batter that undergoes a crucial process of natural fermentation using an old starter (lao mian yinzi). The final product must be snow-white, translucent, and exhibit tiny, even air pockets on the cut surface, which only precise fermentation can achieve.

• Taste Profile: The texture is bouncy, chewy, and refreshing (Q-弹). Its flavor is lightly sweet and subtly sour, with a faint, pleasing fermented rice aroma.

5. Daliang Milk Curd (大良牛乳): The Salty Dairy Sheets of the Water Village

• History and Heritage: Also known as Jinbang Milk Curd, this delicacy emerged from Jinbang Village. It was invented as a clever way to preserve the easily perishable water buffalo milk using salt preservation.

• Preparation and Craftsmanship: Boiling buffalo milk is coagulated with vinegar or brine, forming thin, white circular sheets, which are then cured in saltwater. The sheets must be perfectly thin and intact. This craft is also listed as a Shunde District Intangible Cultural Heritage.

• Taste Profile: It is savory and salty with an intense milk flavor. The traditional way to enjoy it is to lightly steam a sheet and eat it with plain rice congee, where it serves as a delicious, creamy seasoning.

6. Butterfly Crispies (崩砂): The Savory-Sweet Hand-Held Snack

• History and Heritage: Bengsha is a traditional Daliang snack often served as a seasonal New Year's treat and a popular souvenir. It is named for its shape, which resembles a butterfly with open wings.

• Preparation and Craftsmanship: The dough, made with flour, sugar, and often fermented bean curd (Nam Yu), is shaped into the butterfly form and deep-fried. The key is controlling the oil temperature to achieve a crispy but not hard texture, allowing the savory-sweet flavor to fully develop.

• Taste Profile: It offers a delightful interplay of sweet and salty, enhanced by the distinct, complex aroma of fermented bean curd. The texture is irresistibly crunchy.