My Chinese Home Kitchen originated out of our mutual passion for healthy, delicious, home-cooked food, and the social customs and warmth of sharing a meal. Our goal is to offer a site where you can find authentic Chinese recipes and learn about ancient and modern Chinese culture. We feature some well-known recipes specific to certain Chinese cuisines, but most of our recipes are the sort prepared in Chinese home kitchens every day.
Enjoying good, healthy food, with natural ingredients, variety and flavor, does not require a great deal of time or skill. Those skills that are required are not difficult to master and the joy of preparing a good meal is as satisfying and relaxing as eating it together.
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About me
My name is Chen Jing, my dream is to become a Chinese cuisine chef, and I currently live in Anhui. I recently graduated from New Oriental Cooking School as a licensed Chinese cuisine chef. Glenn and I founded CYGE Group, LLC in January 2021 to launch My Chinese Home Kitchen because my favorite Chinese foods are the everyday and holiday meals that we share at family gatherings, and the recipes I learned from my mother and older sister.
I am proud of my Chinese culture, and am Chinese in my soul. Since starting this site, I have had opportunities to visit many world famous Chinese cultural sites, featuring the classic gardens and architecture styles of our history. Some of these are considered world heritage sites, and I am happy to share these experiences with you.
I am originally from Guangxi. Thus, My Chinese Home Kitchen also includes some of the ethnic minority dishes of the Zhuang, and the unique flavors of Guangxi. The Zhuang are the largest ethic minority in China, and they have many interesting and beautiful festivals and traditions.
Chinese Family Traditions and Culture
Food and dining are central to culture and family. Culture and cuisine are shaped by geography and family customs. They are mutually reinforcing in any society, and this is true in China too.
Many of the meals or dishes featured on this site focus on Chinese traditions and celebrations, such as birthdays, ethnic festivals, Chinese home cooking recipes, family, and the Chinese New Year. These are times when the whole family comes together to eat and celebrate. My warmest memories are of these traditional family gatherings, and the love and connections we share. You might enjoy:
Chinese Home Cooking Recipes and Authentic Ingredients
The majority of our recipes are those prepared in many Chinese family kitchens every day. These are very simple to prepare, and use many common ingredients, including ginger, garlic, scallions, and soy sauce. Most of the ingredients you will need are available in a typical grocery store.
Information and sources for specialty ingredients:
- Chinese Chili Peppers
- Chinese Noodles
- Chinese Spices
- Chinese Vegetables
- Cooking Oils & Lard
- Sauces and Seasoning Oils
- Specialty Ingredients (doubanjiang, hot pot base, etc.)
Chinese food and healthy eating
Have you noticed the paradox that a lot of Chinese-American takeout food is fattening, but most Chinese are slender? That’s because Chinese home cooking does not use as much oil, sugar, and starchy ingredients as the rich meals prepared in restaurants. Steam cooking, braising with minimal oil, and blanching prior to stir-frying are all home-cooking methods that produce healthier meals.
We do offer many restaurant dishes, including several you will only find in world-class restaurants. However, we also offer a growing collection of healthy home recipes. Healthy does not mean boring or bland. Many of these healthy recipes are just as spicy or savory as anything you will find in a restaurant, but they are also simpler and generally less expensive.
One simple way to eat healthier and save money is to grow your own food at home. Even if you live in an apartment, container gardening is a practical way to have a steady source of fresh, organic vegetables. If you have a backyard garden, consider adding a few chickens. Not only do they make great pets, but they can help control garden pests, turn compost piles, and provide healthy free-range eggs.
Learning the Basics of Cooking in a Chinese Kitchen
The first thing you should know is that you do not need a wok. Most Chinese homes do use a long-handled, flat-bottomed wok for cooking. A wok, a good kitchen knife, and a wok ladle or spatula are all you need for most recipes. However, if you prefer, you can cook most recipes with a good cast-iron skillet.
If you do choose to buy a wok, look for a carbon steel or cast iron wok, and season it well. For a typical Western gas range, a flat-bottomed wok, 14-inch diameter or smaller, is best. Avoid aluminum, stainless steel, or non-stick woks. Non-stick coatings eventually degrade, adding toxic components to your food, and cannot be heated to high heat without damaging the coating. Food will not stick to a properly seasoned carbon steel or cast iron wok, and the higher cooking temperatures preserves the crisp texture of vegetables when stir-frying.
Chinese home recipes are very easy to prepare. We have a growing collection of how-to videos and articles describing specific techniques. For example, the Chinese have many methods for blanching and braising foods. Each method brings different texture and flavor to the food.
Getting started with Chinese cooking at home:
- Choosing fresh ingredients
- Preparing Food and Cooking Techniques
- Cleanup and Maintenance (includes filtering, storing and disposing of cooking oil)
- Choosing Cookware and Utensils
Chinese Cuisines
Due to the large, varied geography and climates, and 5000 year history, Chinese cuisines are quite varied. There are eight major cuisines, and over 60 specialized minor cuisines. Chinese cooking focuses on simplicity, seeking contrasts in the flavors and textures of ingredients. Some of the Chinese cuisines, such as Shandong (or Lu) are thousands of years old. Others, such as Sichuan and Hunan, were heavily influenced by the introduction of chili peppers to China in the 1670s by Portuguese traders. There are eight major, distinctive cuisines in China:
- Guangdong / Cantonese cuisine
- Sichuan cuisine
- Jiangsu cuisine
- Zheijang cuisine
- Fujian / Min cuisine
- Anhui cuisine
- Hunan cuisine
- Shandong cuisine
While it is not considered one of the major cuisines, there are many local specialties from my home province of Guangxi that we hope you will enjoy. Two of Glenn’s favorites are the Pickled Daikon Radish, and the Guangxi Kou Rou (simmered and braised pork belly). Kou Rou is especially good as the protein in other dishes, such as Fujian Salty Rice, Chinese Fried Noodles, or steamed and served over white rice. My mom’s cooking was a mix of Hakka, Sichuan, and Guangxi cuisines, and I include several of her dishes here too.
Each of the Chinese cuisines has its distinctive characteristics, and many modern Chinese dishes, such as those we are learning in New Oriental Cooking School, combine characteristics of historic cuisines in new ways.
Website Ownership
My Chinese Home Kitchen is owned by the company that Glenn and I started: CYGE Group, LLC.
CYGE Group is a Texas corporation. All content is protected by US and international copyright. We are entirely self-funded. We do not receive any funding from grants, advertising, or affiliate marketing.
All product recommendations are products we use in our own home kitchens. We do not make any paid endorsements.
To contact us with questions, recommendations, or feedback, please leave a comment on our recipes or use our contact form.
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