How do I find a specific recipe?

Use the search bar at the top or browse by tags like 'stir-fry', 'dessert', or 'quick'. You can also check the Recipes page to see everything we've published so far.

Are these recipes tested?

Yes. Every recipe on the site has been cooked and adjusted before publishing. The ingredient amounts are precise (grams, milliliters) because 'a pinch of this' doesn't help when you're learning a new dish.

Can I save recipes for later?

Click the bookmark icon on any recipe page. Your saved recipes show up under 'Saved Recipes' in the menu. Everything is stored in your browser — no account needed.

Where can I find the ingredients?

Most ingredients are available at Asian grocery stores. For specialty items like Sichuan peppercorns or Shaoxing wine, we include notes on what they are and what you can use instead if needed.

Yes, completely. No subscriptions, no premium content, no paywalls. We just want to share good recipes.

Vol. 2026 · Issue 05

小满Lesser Fullness

17 recipes · since 2024

The Cooking Journal

Real Chinese recipes, made simple.

Home-tested dishes from across China — Sichuan, Cantonese, Hunan, and the everyday cooking in between. No filler, no fluff, just recipes that work in a real kitchen.

Browse the journal About the kitchen

This Week's Featured

Dec 27, 2025 90 min

Guilinggao (Tortoise Jelly)

Herbal jelly made from guilinggao powder — slightly bitter on its own, but add honey or condensed milk and it becomes a proper summer dessert. Simple to make, just don't rush the cooking.

Chapter 01 · 新出锅

Latest from the kitchen

Recently tested, written down, and added to the journal.

Browse all

Chinese smashed cucumber salad with garlic and sesame oil

Nº 01

Cucumber 20 min

Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad (Liangban Huanggua)

Smash cucumbers, toss with garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. The smashing is the whole point — it creates rough edges that soak up the dressing. Ready in 20 minutes.

A smooth coffee coconut panna cotta dessert on a plate

Nº 02

Dessert 255 min

Coffee Coconut Panna Cotta

Coffee meets coconut milk in this no-bake dessert — 15 minutes of actual work, then the fridge does the rest. A popular fusion dessert at Chinese bakeries and cafes. Just don't let it boil.

Golden brown kabayaki eggplant glazed in dark sauce, garnished with green onions

Nº 03

Eggplant 30 min

Kabayaki Eggplant

Eggplant cooked in kabayaki sauce — sweet, savory, and sticky. The texture is surprisingly close to eel. A Chinese home-cooking hack for when you want eel rice without the eel (or the price tag).

Cold mixed wood ear mushroom salad with garlic and chili peppers

Nº 04

Wood-ear-mushroom 20 min

Cold Mixed Wood Ear Mushroom

Rehydrated wood ear mushrooms tossed with garlic, chili, and vinegar. Crunchy, slightly slippery, and weirdly addictive. A staple cold dish at Chinese dinner tables.

Golden pan-fried tofu pieces with green onions and peppers

Nº 05

Tofu 20 min

Stir-Fried Tofu with Green Onions

Pan-fried tofu tossed with green onions and peppers. Get the tofu crispy on the outside, keep it soft inside, then stir everything together. Done in 20 minutes.

Bright green spinach stir-fried with golden scrambled eggs

Nº 06

Spinach 10 min

Stir-Fried Spinach with Eggs

Scrambled eggs with spinach — one of those dishes every Chinese household makes on busy weeknights. Five ingredients, ten minutes, done.

Chapter 02 · 味道

Find it by flavor

Browse by region, technique, or what's in your pantry tonight.

A note on measurement

" A pinch of this doesn't help when you're learning a new dish. Every recipe here is in grams, milliliters, and minutes ."

— jackTao, in the kitchen

Chapter 03

Common questions.

Quick answers about using China Recipe.

Mostly Chinese home cooking — the kind of food you'd eat at someone's house in China, not a fancy restaurant. We cover dishes from Sichuan, Guangdong, Hunan, and other regions. Some recipes are quick weeknight meals, others take more time but are worth it.