Few foods have gotten a bad wrap in the west the way tofu has. We’re not sure if it’s bad PR or just a big misunderstanding but to our foreign friends, tofu is often synonymous with the bland and the boring — a sad filler for the overly chaste.
 
But here in China, it’s the star of some of our most famous and delicious dishes (Mapodoufu, anyone?). And far from being bland or boring, it can deliver a KO punch in the form of stinky tofu or be fried up with bacon to please even the most ravenous carnivore.
 
Today we wanted to try to help our friend tofu out with some much needed advocacy and education so that you will hopefully be inspired to boldly go out and try a few new dishes featuring this glorious little bean curd! (more…)

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This is a one-day trip that is perfect for families and children to explore nature by visiting a ecological farm where we can pick up own vegetables, learn to cook some amazing local Chinese dishes and enjoy the slow pace of the outdoor and rural life together. We have planned two sessions of fun games and activities; and you can discover more about yourselves.
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Noodles are ubiquitous today. You can find them in all parts of the globe prepared in thousands of ways. When we think of noodles, many westerners think of Italy with its hundreds of varieties of pasta. But at the other end of the Silk Road, here in China, the noodle is a just as popular and integral part of the culture. 
There is even evidence that China is the birthplace of the noodle. In a 2005 article published in the journal Nature, archaeologists talk about their discovery in northwest China of the oldest noodles ever found — over 4,000 years old! (more…)

If you could only name one ingredient that seems to be the most unique and important to China, a good choice would be the Sichuan peppercorn, sometimes also called prickly ash, or huajiao (花椒, hūajiāo) in Chinese. A favorite ingredients for people taking our cooking classes, the huajiao is so special because of its ability to give the mouth a tingly feeling like putting your tongue on a 9 volt battery.
 
The huajiao is actually not a pepper at all. It’s neither related to chili peppers or the black pepper used as a condiment. Instead it is (more…)

During our exhibition at the last Expat show  we had the great pleasure of meeting a great number of kids and their parents. The kids loved the experience! We were amazed at the amount of interest shown in cooking by families and we left the event with the intent of making a great class for kids and involve their families into our classes.

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