Cooking 101- Top Tips for Cooking Chinese Food

As someone who loves cooking, you want to try various cuisines from different countries. Have you tried cooking Chinese food? How about some in-home chef experience where you were served Chinese food? Did you learn some tricks and tips?

If you haven’t, you may probably be thinking a lot about how to do it as you find yourself looking for a wok and learning how to boil rice and stir-fry vegetables. Take heart; this feature is for you as it runs down some of the best tips you need to know in cooking Chinese food.

Let’s begin with the general principles in cooking Chinese food.

Three Chinese Cooking Principles You Should Know

1. Chinese people believe in finding the right balance and harmony in every aspect of life. This principle is the same when preparing a Chinese recipe. With this in mind, you have to vary the vegetables and meat to achieve various flavors in your dish.

2. Prepare everything you need before starting cooking, including washing, draining, cutting the veggies, cutting and marinating the meat, and mixing your sauces and spices.

3. Use fresh ingredients all the time.

Tips for Cooking Chinese Food

Now that you know these three general principles in Chinese cooking, it’s time to go into particulars and learn how things are done when preparing Chinese cuisines.

1. When Using a Wok

Popular cooking videos often show that professionals or amateurs cooking Chinese food use woks. However, you don’t have to do the same. An ordinary frying fan can still cook your food well enough to be absolutely delicious!

2. When Stir-Frying

Stir-frying is what you do to ensure that you don’t burn your food or stick it onto your pan. Stir fry a lot, especially when you are mixing other ingredients, including soya and salt.

  • When you stir-fry veggies, you have to first cook the thickest ones like broccoli, cabbage, and carrots to cook them well. If you are not sure which vegetable to cook first, stir-fry them separately to avoid overcooking them.
  • Always stir-fry the meat before the vegetables.
  • When stir-frying tofu, you need to use the firmest tofu that will keep its shape and will not shatter while cooking. Before you cook them, drain the tofu so it will absorb the other flavors in the dish.

3. When Preparing Seasonings

Consider the following steps to bring out the flavor in your sauces and seasonings:

  • Do not use cornstarch beyond what is needed. The exact measurement for using cornstarch is this: 1 tablespoon for every two tablespoons of water.
  • Use fresh ginger instead of powdered.
  • Use sugar as an alternative to MSG.


Cooking Chinese food requires a considerable amount of expertise and mastery. The tips mentioned above are just some of the basic things you should know. Chinese recipes can be complicated, and much work and effort are exerted in preparing them. The delicate preparation of the ingredients and the meticulous cooking of your Chinese recipe is always the key to bringing out the best flavor in your meal.

You can learn more tips in preparing and cooking Chinese food by getting a private chef in Charleston, SC. Food Fire+Knives offers cooking classes that give you the opportunity to meet world-class chefs. By joining a cooking class with us, you get the chance to ask questions and learn from our expert top chef while he cooks a meal for you. Contact us today!