A Day Learning Authentic Chinese Home Cooking in Beijing

For foreign visitors seeking cultural immersion, a hands-on cooking class in Beijing offers both skill-building and insight into local lifestyles. This one-day Beijing culinary experience focuses on northern Chinese household dishes, guiding learners through four fundamental cooking techniques with accessible ingredients.

Morning Preparation: Mise en Place
The session begins at a traditional *hutong* courtyard kitchen. Under the instructor’s guidance, students assemble ingredients for three signature dishes(we also can provide flexible menu as option), once these 3 dishes learnt, we can leart another 2-3 traditinal Chinese dishes following the similar cooking way.
1. *Stir-fried Shredded Pork with Sweet Bean Sauce* (京酱肉丝)
2. *Three Delicacies Stir-fry* (地三鲜)
3. *Pan-fried Dumplings* (锅贴)

Essential components include:
– Basic aromatics: minced ginger, garlic, spring onions
– Sauce base: light/dark soy sauce, rice wine, Chinkiang vinegar
– Staples: pork tenderloin, eggplant, potatoes, dumpling wrappers

Knife Skills & Prep Work
Students practice Chinese cutting techniques:
– *Si* (丝): matchstick cuts for vegetables
– *Pian* (片): diagonal slicing for meats
– *Ding* (丁): uniform dicing for even cooking

Key preparation steps:
1. Marinate pork with soy sauce and cornstarch
2. Parboil potatoes and eggplant to shorten frying time
3. Mix dumpling filling of minced pork and cabbage

**Cooking Techniques Demonstration**

*Stir-frying (炒)*
Using a carbon steel wok over high heat:
1. Heat oil until shimmering
2. Quick-fry garlic/ginger until fragrant
3. Add marinated pork, toss constantly
4. Incorporate sauce mixture, thicken with starch slurry

*Pan-frying (煎)*
For golden-brown dumplings:
1. Arrange dumplings in hot oiled pan
2. Add water steam for tender skins
3. Crisp base through controlled heat

*Deep-frying (炸)*
Achieving the signature texture of Three Delicacies:
1. Maintain oil at 180°C
2. Fry potatoes until golden crust forms
3. Quick-fry eggplant to retain shape

*Quick-braising (烹)*
The “drunken” technique for flavor infusion:
1. Splash rice wine around hot wok edges
2. Immediate covering to trap aromas

Cultural Takeaways
The workshop concludes with participants sharing their creations family-style, embodying the Chinese dining philosophy of *re nao* (热闹) – joyful communal eating. Students leave not just with recipes, but an understanding of how balanced flavors (sweet, salty, sour) and textures (crisp, tender, chewy) define northern Chinese home cooking. The experience demystifies Chinese culinary methods while emphasizing adaptability – encouraging learners to substitute local ingredients when recreating dishes abroad.