1-2-3-4-5 Ribs is a dish that’s come in and out of my consciousness with an almost mystical quality. I didn’t know the origin of the name, nor had I ever tried it. But every so often, I’d hear of it again and wonder what everyone else seemed to know that I didn’t! So when I […]
15 Nourishing Chinese Soup Recipes
As a middle-aged Chinese woman, I’ve picked up some useful do’s and don’ts throughout the years. One major DO I’ve learned is to have more nourishing soups in one’s diet this time of year. We all love autumn for its beautiful foliage and comfortable weather, but as temperatures drop, the chill in the air is […]
Chinese Rice Cake Soup
This Chinese rice cake soup or niángāo tāng (年糕汤) is as delicious as it is comforting! Rice cake soup is also big in Korea. Indeed, when you search for “rice cake soup” on Google, nearly all the recipes are for Korean tteokguk. Well I’m here to represent how the Chinese make rice cake soup, and […]
Buckwheat Pancakes (Gluten-free!)
While I consider myself a somewhat healthy eater (though I do enjoy a good heaping bowl of pork belly), I’m not one for eating healthy food only for the sake of being healthy! So for me, Buckwheat Pancakes are one of my favorite breakfasts not just because they’re healthy, but because they’re a win-win on […]
Perfect Yellow Cake
Our family has experimented for years to pin down the perfect yellow cake recipe. Well by George, I think we’ve finally done it! Defining the Perfect Yellow Cake First, let’s get on the same page about what we look for in the perfect yellow cake. For us, an ideal cake has the following qualities: A […]
Soup Dumplings (Xiaolongbao)
Chinese Soup Dumplings, or xiaolongbao (小笼包), are perhaps the most perfect single bite of food ever conceived by man. This tantalizing, dreamy snack is probably the most famous dish to come out of the Jiangnan region of China. It is often associated with the city of Shanghai (the largest city in the region by population, and […]
Tempura Donburi
This Tempura Donburi is loaded with light, crispy shrimp and vegetable tempura. With a side of miso soup, plenty of dipping sauce, and a cup of Japanese Sencha tea, you might forget you’re eating at home! What Is Donburi? Donburi in Japanese translates to “bowl,” and is any dish served over rice (and, true to […]
Ginger Chicken
Ginger Chicken is a homestyle Chinese dish made with lots of fresh ginger, garlic and scallions, cooked down into a sticky brown sauce great over rice or noodles. I first heard of Ginger Chicken at a Chinese restaurant in Rochester, NY, where I waited tables. In the kitchen, the Cantonese chefs referred to this Ginger […]
Bacon in a Wok & After School Sandwiches
The sight of sizzling bacon in a wok is an image that’s stuck with me since childhood! It also happens to be a great way to cook bacon, with the perfect mix of chewy and crispy. Growing up, Sarah and I had a nanny for a brief stint who would whip up bacon sandwiches as […]
Chicken with Black Bean Sauce
Chicken with Black Bean Sauce is a standby dish on both Chinese takeout and restaurant menus. It’s one of the tastiest stir-fries you can make, and if you never or rarely use Chinese fermented black beans, this dish is the perfect introduction! The Magic of Fermented Black Beans This no-brainer, everyday stir-fry is elevated with […]
Steamed Pork Buns (Baozi)
Everyone has staples in their freezer––a pint of ice cream, a box of waffles, or a bag of frozen peas. The freezer staples I can’t do without are frozen rice, frozen man-tou, frozen dumplings and finally, some sort of savory bun, like these steamed pork buns (baozi, 包子 in Chinese). They’re my emergency meal source! […]
Vegan Ramen
Ramen, one of the most beloved bowls of hot soup in the world. Traditionally, ramen gets its flavor from rich bone broths made with pork or chicken. But what about a vegan ramen that delivers a comparable level of umami punch, from all vegan ingredients? That, my friends, is what we have on offer today. […]
20-Minute Congee (皮蛋瘦肉粥)
BREAKING NEWS!!! You can make delicious congee with slow-cooked flavor––from scratch––in 20 minutes. I’m not talking about using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker either. The extremely exciting technique I’m revealing in this post will cut the usual congee cooking time by at least two thirds, if not more. Anyone who has made congee before […]
Fried Brown Rice
When we say Fried Brown Rice, we don’t mean white rice fried in a classic brown sauce, we’re talking about actual brown rice fried rice! Why Brown Rice? When you eat white rice, the tough outer husk, bran and germ have been removed for a pearly white grain with great texture, but it doesn’t deliver […]
How Cook Brown Rice: 2 Easy Methods!
Brown rice has become a popular alternative to white rice. Though it seems simple, cooking brown rice can be hard to get right if you don’t make a couple important moves. That’s why today, we’ve got all the tips you need for how to cook brown rice perfectly, either: On the stove In a rice […]
Five Spice Chicken
When we bought our first house over twenty years ago and money was tight, we were always looking for good deals at the local supermarket. The Chicken leg quarters at $0.39/pound sounded pretty good. This oven-baked five spice chicken is an easy dinner we used to make on school nights, because it was easy to […]
The Ultimate Asian Vegetable Stock
We have many soup recipes on The Woks of Life that can be adapted for vegans and vegetarians. The only problem was, we never had a high quality Asian vegetable stock or Chinese vegetable stock recipe we could recommend. Most vegetable stock recipes were either Western/European-style stocks, and many of the Asian vegetable stock recipes […]
Easy Peking Duck with Mandarin Pancakes
Ever since we left Beijing to come back to the US, one of the things we really miss is the abundance and variety of the authentic foods China had to offer, including authentic Peking Duck. What Is Peking Duck? Peking duck (as it’s commonly known in the U.S.) is a famous, centuries-old dish hailing from […]
Grass Jelly Dessert
My earliest memory of grass jelly is from my Cantonese neighbor who lived above us way back when I lived in Shanghai. We all called her Ah–Mou, a respectful way to address an elderly woman in Cantonese. I still remember what she looked like, and the stainless steel plates of varying sizes that she used […]
Chinese Winter Melon Soup with Meatballs
Now that the air’s beginning to turn crisp, it’s time for us to share this Chinese Winter Melon Soup recipe with meatballs. Winter melons are grown in summer and harvested in late summer through early winter, making this a great summer/fall transition recipe! (Plus, who doesn’t love meatballs?) A Light, Nourishing Winter Melon Soup You […]
Baobing Chinese Shaved Ice
Chinese Shaved Ice, or baobing, is something I’ve only seen made the right way in China. On hot days in Beijing, when my parents and sister lived there for a 3-year stretch while I was in college, there was nothing better than a tower of fluffy, snow-like shaved ice with all the toppings. Sweet red adzuki beans […]
10 Traditional Mid-Autumn Festival Foods
The Mid-Autumn Festival is almost here! It falls on September 13 this year. I hope you’re ready, but in case you’re not, we’re sharing 10 traditional Mid-Autumn Festival Foods served during this holiday! Mid-Autumn Festival Memories The Mid-Autumn Festival can get lost in the American mainstream, but it’s an important Chinese holiday, and one that […]
Pork Fried Rice
Pork fried rice is probably one of the most popular Chinese take-out dishes out there. Anything involving rice and pork is likely to be a winner with a Chinese audience (or any audience that loves Chinese food). In my parents’ restaurant, we used to serve pork fried rice as a side dish accompanying many other […]
Hunan Beef
You may have ordered Hunan Beef from your local takeout joint before. The Americanized version is pretty variable, depending on who’s making it. I once asked my father and other Chinese restaurant chefs—what’s the deal with Hunan Beef? Even they confessed to not know much about it other than the way that particular restaurant prepared […]
Mom’s Chicken Wontons
This post is sponsored by Knorr Chicken Powder. All thoughts and opinions are our own. Enjoy! Today, we’re sharing my grandma’s recipe for chicken wontons. I’ve had countless bowls of delicious wonton soup served up to me by both my grandma and my mom. It’s Chinese comfort food––or really comfort food, period. Growing up, there […]
Black Sticky Rice Mango Dessert
Over 5 years ago, we posted these two recipes for cold Asian dessert soups that have grown in popularity across Asia. Today, we’re posting a new recipe for one of my favorite dessert soups, made with mango, Thai black sticky rice, coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, and shaved ice. It may sound like a strange […]
Chicken Larb
This chicken larb is packed with bright, delicious flavors and contrasting textures, and it takes just 30 minutes or less to make! Serve them in lettuce cups for a low carb option or with sticky rice. What Is Larb? Larb is a meat salad consisting of ground meat, herbs, chilies, fish sauce, lime juice, and […]
Chinese Cucumber Salad
This Chinese Cucumber Salad is simple and refreshing, with a mild garlic flavor balanced with the perfect amount of salt and rice vinegar. The secret is making a mild garlic oil in addition to a little bit of raw garlic! What’s Different About This Cucumber Salad? Chinese cucumber salads are hugely popular these days. Smashed, […]
Steamed Chinese Eggplant with Spicy Lao Gan Ma
We know how much readers love Lao Gan Ma (Godmother) sauces. But since we’ve already shown large dollops of it on noodles and rice, why not on a vegetable? Hence, this quick and easy Steamed Chinese Eggplant with Spicy Lao Gan Ma, so you can take down your favorite chili sauce with perhaps a little […]
How to Cook Tapioca Pearls
In recent years, tapioca pearls have become a favorite in bubble tea, shaved ice desserts, and sweet dessert soups across Asia and in Asian communities in the West. But what if you want to cook your own tapioca pearls at home? Some store-bought tapioca pearls can be cooked in a matter of minutes, but dried […]
