Chinese Cuisine

Chinese cooking is among the oldest and largest cuisines in the world, with eight major regional schools that differ completely — from light Cantonese to Sichuan heat that numbs the tongue.

Wok heat

Wok hei is the flavour that forms when food touches very hot iron for a few seconds. To get it at home: a very hot pan, small quantities at a time, and constant movement. A crowded pan steams rather than fries.

The five-flavour balance

Chinese cooking balances five tastes: salty (soy), sweet (sugar), sour (rice vinegar), bitter and hot. Any good Chinese sauce carries at least three of them.

Fermentation

Soy sauce, hoisin and bean pastes are all fermented products centuries old, and they are the source of umami in Chinese cooking.

Prep before the heat

Because the cooking happens in minutes, everything must be cut and ready before the flame goes on. The pieces are cut to an even size too, so they finish at the same time.