Guides
Guides & extras
Practical guides from Chinese Food Blog.
Guide
A Chinatown Food Walk in San Francisco: Route and Tips
A self-guided San Francisco Chinatown food walk from the Dragon Gate to Ross Alley, with tea, dim sum, fortune cookies, temples and practical tips.
Guide
Wok Basics: Seasoning, Heat and Timing for Home Cooks
How to season a carbon steel wok, manage heat on a home stove, and time a stir-fry so vegetables stay crisp and meat stays tender. Practical wok basics.
Guide
Chinese Pantry Staples Explained: Sauces, Spices and More
A home cook's guide to Chinese pantry staples: light and dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, vinegars, oyster sauce, starches, spices and fresh aromatics.
Guide
A Beginner's Guide to Dim Sum: What to Order and How
New to dim sum? How a meal works, classic dishes to try, tea etiquette and ordering tips, plus where to taste it in San Francisco's Chinatown.
Guide
China's Eight Great Cuisines: A Home Cook's Overview
An overview of China's eight great regional cuisines, from Cantonese and Sichuan to Shandong and Anhui: their typical flavors, techniques and dishes.
Guide
Cooking Rice the Chinese Way: Stovetop and Rice Cooker
How to cook fluffy jasmine rice the Chinese home way: rinsing, the finger method, stovetop and rice cooker steps, and leftovers for fried rice.
Guide
Foods for Chinese New Year: Dishes and Their Meanings
Traditional Chinese New Year foods and what they symbolize, from whole fish and dumplings to rice cakes, noodles and oranges, plus the SF festival.
Guide
Fortune Cookies: An American Story from San Francisco
Fortune cookies are a fixture of Chinese American restaurants. How they are made, what is known about their story, and a Ross Alley bakery in Chinatown.
Guide
Dumpling Folding Basics: Simple Folds for Home Cooks
Learn to fill and fold Chinese dumplings at home: wrapper tips, a basic filling, three easy folds, plus how to boil, steam, pan-fry and freeze them.
Guide
Chinese Tea Basics: Types, Brewing and Tea with Meals
A beginner's guide to Chinese tea: green, white, oolong, black, pu-erh and jasmine, how to brew loose leaf at home, and drinking tea with dim sum.
Guide
Knife Skills for Stir-Fry: Cutting for Even Cooking
Basic knife skills for Chinese stir-fry: holding a cleaver, slicing meat against the grain, cutting vegetables to match, and mincing aromatics safely.
Guide
Simple Vegetable Stir-Fries: A Home Method and Ideas
A basic method for Chinese vegetable stir-fries at home, plus simple combinations: garlic greens, green beans, cabbage, eggplant and mixed vegetables.