What a year it’s been. We plum can’t believe it’s almost over—it passed like a blink of the eye. Sarah got married(!) and we wrote a dang cookbook. We also just moved a couple months ago, which will lead to some exciting projects here on the blog. (We’ll share more about that in the new year!)
Sometimes we laughed, and sometimes we languished. The summer of cookbook shoots was harder than we all thought, but we’re ultimately so excited about showing the work to all of you when the cookbook comes out next fall.
As for what has been going on in the wider world, the meals we ate and the people we shared them with bolstered our spirits in tough times.
some friendly family competition
In spite of the craziness of yet another year in the increasingly notorious 2020s, as I gathered the top 20 recipes of 2021, I couldn’t help but feel the familiar tickle of glee that comes with some friendly family competition…
Our annual contest for who has garnered the most of the most popular recipes of the year goes back to 2018. (Also check out our Top Recipes from 2019 and 2020.)
For the past two years, the matriarch of the family, Judy/my ma has reigned supreme!
I hope that maybe this year, I’ll have a fighting chance, but something tells me that history may repeat itself…
WHOSE CUISINE REIGNS SUPREME?
Let’s find out!
OUR MOST POPULAR RECIPES OF 2021
20. Cantonese Mustard Green soup with pork bones
by: Judy
This soup by Judy is a testament not only to her, but to our readers’ love for a taste of home—and your parents’ cooking. The bitter flavor of the mustard greens is actually mellowed after simmering, and the result is pure flavor. While the overwhelming consensus on Instagram is that most people just can’t fully embrace mustard greens, there were enough devotees out there for this soup to rank!! WOoO!
19. Simple Pan-fried belt fish
by: Judy
Pan-fried Belt Fish is a recipe that had everyone transfixed because of that irresistible crispy coating. This buttery, dense fish has an amazing flavor. It’s a taste of Shanghai that we’ve grown up with over generations.
18. Asian chicken salad with lemon
by: Judy
My mom strikes again! Her salad was the perfect balm to the heat of summer, and who knew that thinly sliced lemon would be so refreshingly delicious and not at all too sour to be enjoyable! This was one of our favorite recipe discoveries of the year too!
17. Garlic scapes stir-fry
by: Bill
It seems like every year up ’til now, we’ve missed the extremely narrow window during which you can find tender garlic scapes. This year, we were finally able to document this recipe!
16. xo sauce fried rice with chicken
by: Kaitlin (me!)
This XO Sauce Fried Rice with Chicken is a fantastically simple and incredibly satisfying recipe—whether you use our homemade XO sauce or not!
15. Easy chinese-style button mushroom soup
by: Judy
This Chinese Button Mushroom Soup was released late in the year, but you all discovered the simple brilliance of it—the deep flavor comes just from searing mushrooms and adding water, plus a few seasonings.
14. vegan korean bbq: king oyster mushroom “samgyupsal” bowls
by: Kaitlin
Vegan Korean BBQ is simultaneously the most obvious and yet most unexpected find of the year for me. I’ve always enjoyed mushrooms and onions alongside my sizzled pork belly, but with a little mental re-framing, they perform beautifully as the main event!
13. laksa instant ramen
by: Sarah
Laksa Instant Ramen was an inexpensive and delicious way to jazz up a package of instant noodles. As lifelong ramen eaters, this one was a particularly fun way to jazz up an old favorite!
12. money bag dumplings
by: Judy
Money Bag Dumplings were a highlight of our Chinese New Year dinner table last year. From the irresistibly fun shape, to the colors, to the bright green of the tie that holds it all together—and the taste of course—these vegan treasures are truly enjoyable to make and eat!
11. tomato hot pot with beef
by: Sarah
This is a quick shortcut to an at-home hot pot. It’s the tomato that makes it—a delicious and mild alternative to the boiling Sichuan hot pot bases favored by the masses.
10. the best ham and bean soup
by: Kaitlin
I’m positively tickled that my Ham and Bean Soup made the top 10 list!!! We’ve made this soup so many times since we published it. It’s become a staple when the weather turns cold. Just the other day, I made an enormous batch—this time with a smoked ham hock as my aunt intended!
9. chinese boneless spare ribs
by: Bill
This retro classic is an affordable way to enjoy “ribs,” as boneless country ribs are cheaper cut—but just as enjoyable spread over a Chinese takeout-style fried rice. Don’t forget the hot sauce!
8. tom yum soup (Tom yum goong)
by: Sarah
Our take on this flavorful and tangy Thai soup is delicious, and thanks to Sarah’s signature touch, wonderfully simple to make!
7. beef with string beans
by: Sarah
Sarah’s quite the queen of simple meat stir-fries, and this Beef with String Beans was no different. It’s a classic combination that is perfect for quick lunches and dinners.
6. oyster sauce baked chicken wings
by: Kaitlin
This is an unexpectedly delicious way to prep chicken wings—though I’ll be the first to admit that chicken wings these days are pricey and hard to find. Happily, this recipe works just as well with drumsticks or chicken thighs. Just be sure that the larger cuts have a chance to get crispy, as there’s not as much skin and fat.
5. spicy tan tan ramen
by: Sarah
And so begins the top 5 countdown! Tan Tan Ramen is a Japanese take on dan dan noodles. It can be more mild, but just as delicious!
4. chinese vegetarian duck (素鸭)
by: Judy
Who’d have thought that our humble Chinese Vegetarian Duck would make it this far?! Though I shouldn’t be surprised, as everyone has been in keen search of more and more excellent plant-based recipes.
3. chicken and asparagus stir fry
by: Sarah
I’m not surprised to see this easy Chicken Asparagus Stir-fry in the Top 3. It tore through Instagram as an easy and tasty weeknight stir-fry with easy-to-find ingredients!
2. rou zao fan: taiwanese minced braised pork
by: Judy
In an uncertain year, this is the kind of comfort food that people needed. You really haven’t lived until you’ve had an egg with a bite of this pork and rice…
1. beef onion stir fry
by: Sarah
I said it before, and I’ll say it again, Sarah really is the queen of a quick ‘n easy meat stir-fry! This Beef Onion Stir-fry has elemental flavors that really shine through, thanks to the simple seasonings. Even better? It takes literally 5 minutes standing at the stove to make, as long as you’ve got a hot wok!!! 5 minutes! No wonder it’s a winner.
Whose cuisine reigned supreme?
Sooo, which Woks of Life family member had the most recipes on this list?
We’ve got an UNPRECEDENTED outcome. It’s a tie between Sarah and ma Judy! My dad Bill is trailing uncharacteristically behind, but I have to say, it’s nice to be in third place rather than last for once heehee. We can’t blame him, as he’s been quite busy with other projects (including that new house we mentioned!).
Here are the final scores from the judging table:
Judy: 7
Sarah: 7
Kaitlin: 4
Bill: 2
Wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year ahead! See you in 2022!
This website never fails to be a cheerful haven. Thank you for working so hard to provide the internet (and the world) with these recipes and this good cheer.
Regarding garlic scapes, did you know that they’re some of the easiest things to grow? When garlic starts sprouting, stick him in the ground or a pot full of soil such as Pro-mix on a porch, wait a month, then all you’ll have is scapes. Scapes for days. It’s hard to use them all up! I’ve done similar things with storebought green onions, storebought fresh mint, and storebought ginger. Green onion was the only fresh thing we had in Texas in March 2020, because I was growing it. We subsisted on ramen, fried eggs, mixed nuts, and those green onions. I don’t think I want to go another year without growing things like that again and it’s really easy. Oh, and if you want vegan substitutes for stuff I documented a whole bunch at (remove spaces, i added em to bypass spam filter) https: // macrev . ne ocities. org / veganfoods.html
Happy New Year and best wishes to you all.
Thanks for those kind words! And for the tip on the garlic scapes! We will have to commit to trying that this year. We’ve actually got a pot of ginger sprouting as we speak, so it’ll be very exciting to have the scapes alongside them. :) These little aromatics go such a long way, as you found out! My favorite trick is having a bag of frozen chopped scallions in the freezer so they’re always fresh and ready! Happy new year!
Happy new year! I made two of your recipes for this past Shabbos, Curry beef puffs and Cooked lettuce with oyster sauce and garlic. Turned out great, my guests LOVED these and I was so happy I was able to find kosher ingredients. Your Cantonese recipes bring back happy childhood restaurant and home meal memories! Thank you for preserving this precious information!
You’re very welcome, Ami! :)
Happy new year to your family.
I love your blog page. Great recipes make it easy for me to enjoy as I don’t live near a town for take out.
Thank you, Paul–happy new year!
HI All, thanks for all the great recipies you have sent out this year. I have enjoyed making some of them and will continue to get through the recipy list. Have a Happy and safe 2022.
Thank you Chris!
I love your blog, and I have made so many incredible dishes through it! Thank you so much. I have always wanted to make homemade Chinese food but never had the courage to try it. Your blog enabled me to do so, and somehow well! Keep up the good work. Beef and Onion Stir Fry and Rou Zao Fan are now my commonly cooked dishes.
Niice!
I love your blog (and the food) but thissite is almost unusable now for all of the ads that cover content. I know that is the whole point but some restraint would be in good taste.
Hi Greg, ads should never cover content—can you please send us a screenshot of what you’re seeing to [email protected]? And let us know what device/browser you’re on so we can get it fixed!
I have to agree with this comment! On both my tablet and laptop the adds are overwhelming and really distracting! I keep trying to click them off, but, they pop right back up!😤 Even in full screen mode on laptop, the bottom add bar covers a good third of the page! On tablet there is the add right on the recipe page! Plus the bar at the bottom! 🙄
Thank you for the feedback! We will speak with our ad managers.
I agree. See my comment below.
Your food looks amazing! I can’t wait for your cookbook! I have made many of your recipes over and over.
Thank you Carol!
You are all winners! Such a talented, authentic, humble and generous family!!! I have immensely enjoyed reading about and trying many of your fabulous recipes this year since end of January! 💓🍾🥂 New Year blessings!
Thank you so much, Joan ^_^ Happy new year!
Thank you so much for including vegan and plant-based recipes.
Of course, Lin! They’re clearly popular :)