Chinese cuisine has a long and affluent history that spans thousands of years. The Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) is the archetypal known Chinese cookbook, and it is considered that Chinese cuisine began to take form during the Shang Dynasty in the 16th-11th century BC. Different dynasties and regions developed their unique styles of cooking over the centuries. For example, the imperial court of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was known for its elegant and ornate dishes, while the food of the ordinary people was more austere and rural.

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Chinese Recipes

Chinese cuisine has developed over millennia of culinary traditions.

RECIPE: Chilled Lo Mein Noodles with Szechuan Peppercorns

• Lo mein noodles 6 ounces dried (Simply Asia is best)

• Peanut oil 3 tablespoons

• Chinese black rice vinegar or rice vinegar 3 tablespoons

• Soy sauce ( less-sodium) 1 tablespoon

• Sugar 1 tablespoon

• Pepper, minced1 jalapeno (seeded if desired)

• Cloves 2 garlic, minced

• Szechuan peppercorns 1 teaspoon, crushed.

• Chopped dry-roasted peanuts, ¼ cup

• Chopped green onions2 tablespoons

• Fresh cilantro leaves 1 tablespoon

• Drain; flush with cold water until cool. Drain well. Use kitchen shears to cut noodles into more diminutive pieces.

• To complete the vinaigrette, combine oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, jalapeño, garlic, and peppercorns in a small bowl, whisking until the sugar completely dissolves.

• Toss noodles with vinaigrette until well coated, in a serving bowl. Top with peanuts, green onions, and cilantro.

RECIPE: Delicious Lazy Wonton, a classic Chinese soup

Ingredients

Directions

• Chicken stock or broth, 2 quarts

• 1 bunch of sliced green onions

• 1 garlic clove, delicately sliced

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger or 3-inch of fresh ginger, peeled

• For more taste add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce.

• Rice vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons

• Brown sugar, 1 tablespoon

• Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon, divided

• Ground pork, 1 pound

• Toasted sesame oil, 2 teaspoons

• Cornstarch, 2 teaspoons

• Roughly chopped 3 cups, 3 heads baby bok choy

• 20 wonton wrappers, cut into quarters

• Chili crunch or sriracha hot sauce (if you like)

Directions

Ingredients

• Use a large saucepan and place the chicken in it, or set the oven over medium flame and add the white part of the green onion in it. Cut 1-inch pieces and add broth. Adda garlic clove and gingerly slice 1 inch of ginger and add to the stock. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and half a teaspoon salt. Bring mixture to a boil, mixing infrequently.

• Put the pork in a bowl and finely slice the green onion tops. Put 3 tablespoons for garnish. Add the rest to the bowl, then grind in the remaining 2-inch piece of ginger. Pour in the remaining soy sauce, salt, sesame oil, and cornstarch, mixing nicely until fully blended.

• Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and dip them into the broth. Or, use a small spoon to dip and add little piles of meat. Lower the flame and let it lightly cook for 5 minutes. Add wonton wrappers, bok choy, and more soy sauce if needed. Stir now and then, and let it cook for 8 minutes.

• Serve with reserved green onions and hot sauce or chili crisp if desired.

RECIPE: Enjoy the sweet and savory taste of Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)

Ingredients

• Soy sauce ½ cup

• Honey ⅓ cup

• Ketchup ⅓ cup

• Brown sugar ⅓ cup

• Chinese rice wine ¼ cup

• Hoisin sauce 2 tablespoons

• Red bean curd 2 tablespoons (Optional)

• Chinese five-spice powder 1 teaspoon (Optional)

Directions

• Put a saucepan over medium-low heat and pour five-spice powder, soy sauce, honey, ketchup, brown sugar, rice wine, hoisin sauce, and red bean curd. Cook and stir until just blended and slightly warm, 2 to 3 minutes.

• Meanwhile, place pork strips (slice each piece 1 ½- to 2-inch-thick strips) in a large, resealable plastic bag.

• Squeeze air from the bag and put marinade into the bag with the pork, seal, and turn the bag a few times until the pork is well coated. Marinate in the fridge, for 2 hours or overnight.

• Preheat a charcoal grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate, when ready to cook.

• Pull pork from the marinade and shake to extract extra fluid. Keep the remaining marinade for basting.

• Rake the burning coals into two similar piles on opposite sides of the charcoal grate. Add a little container of water to the grate. Place pork strips in the center of the grate for ambiguous cooking.

• Cook the pork over indirect heat, flipping it often and grease as required, until an instant-read thermometer in the center shows at least 145°F (63°C). This may take 30 minutes or more.

RECIPE: Kung Pao Chicken, a Chinese takeout favorite, 30 minutes for an easy weeknight meal!

Directions

• Marinate the chicken: Using a medium bowl, mix soy sauce, dry sherry, and cornstarch until completely liquefied. Add the chicken, heaving to cover evenly. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, stirring now and then.

• Prepare the sauce: Using another medium bowl, whip together all of the sauce components until the cornstarch is liquefied. The cornstarch may clump to the bottom of the bowl, so make sure to rub it off.

• Over high heat, heat a big nonstick skillet until very hot, use 1 tbsp of the oil to coat. Add the bell pepper, celery, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until a little softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetables to a large bowl and set aside.

• Pour ½ tablespoon of oil (extra) into the pan and set over high flame. Add 1/2 of the chicken and brown on one side, almost 1½ minutes, then do the same with the other side, or until the chicken is just cooked through. Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the peppers and celery. Now do the same process for the other 1/2 of the remaining chicken. Pour ½ tablespoon more oil into the pan, plus the garlic and scallions, and cook, for about 30 seconds more, stirring with the chicken.

• Add the stocked vegetables and chicken to the pan, also the sauce. Lower the heat to low and cook until the chicken and vegetables are heated through and the sauce is thickened about 30 seconds. Mix in the nuts, taste, and fine-tune seasoning.

Ingredients

• Soy sauce 1½ tablespoons

For the Marinade

• Dry sherry1 tablespoon

• Corn starch2 teaspoons

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts 1½ lbs chicken tenderloins cut into 1-in pieces.

For the Sauce

• Balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon

• Soy sauce 2 tablespoons

• Hoisin sauce1 tablespoon, best quality such as Kikkoman or Lee Kum Kee

• Asian/toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon

• Sugar 1½ tablespoons

• Cornstarch 1 tablespoon

• Crushed red pepper flakes ½ teaspoon (use half the amount for a milder sauce)

• Ground ginger ¼ teaspoon

• Water ⅓ cup

For the Stir-fry

• Vegetable oil 2½ tablespoons

• Red bell pepper 1 large, diced

• 2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

• Salt ¼ teaspoon

• Cloves garlic 3, chopped

• Thinly sliced, 5 scallions, white and green parts

• Peanuts or cashews ⅓ cup whole roasted unsalted

Note: the sauce will thicken as it sits; thin it with a few tablespoons of water, if necessary.

Chilled Lo Mein Noodles is a refreshing take on traditional Chinese noodles from Sichuan province. Known for its bold, numbing spice, this dish blends cold, chewy noodles with a savory, spicy sauce aromatized with garlic, soy, and Szechuan peppercorns.

Lazy Wonton is a classic Chinese soup. This version allows dumpling flavors to shine instead of wrapping individual wontons. Unwrapped wonton fillings are steamed in a rich, savory broth. It’s pleasant and time-saving for busy days.

RECIPE: Chinese Tea Eggs (茶叶蛋 - Chá Yè Dàn)

Tea eggs date back to China’s Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE), once a delicacy for the elite. Over time, they became beloved street food across China. As Chinese communities spread worldwide, tea eggs gained popularity globally, especially in the U.S. during the 1980s and 90s, when Chinese cuisine began diversifying beyond traditional takeout.

Directions

Ingredients

• 12 eggs

• 4 cups water

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (for deeper colour)

• 2 tablespoons black tea leaves (or four tea bags)

• 2-star anise

• 1 cinnamon stick

• Place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 7 minutes. Remove from heat.

• 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 2 strips dried orange or tangerine peel (optional)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Transfer eggs to an ice bath. Once cool enough to handle, gently tap each egg with the back of a spoon to create a network of cracks all over the shell. Don't peel the eggs—the cracks allow the marinade to penetrate and create the marble pattern.

• In the same pot, combine water, regular and dark soy sauce, tea leaves, star anise, cinnamon stick, Sichuan peppercorns, dried citrus peel (if using), brown sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil.

• Return the cracked eggs to the pot with the marinade. Bring back to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the eggs steep in the marinade for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight) in the refrigerator. The longer they steep, the more pronounced the flavour and marbling will be.

• Peel the eggs to reveal the beautiful marbled pattern. Serve whole or halved as a snack, appetizer, or in addition to noodle dishes and salads.