Today we're heading on a culinary journey through China — a country with a millennia-old cooking tradition. We'll make crispy pork in glossy sauce, fragrant wok-fried noodles, and sticky New Year cake made from rice flour.
🥢 Sweet and Sour Pork (糖醋里脊)
Crispy pieces of pork in golden batter, coated in thick glossy sauce with a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. The dish combines contrasting textures — tender meat inside and crunchy crust outside.
Ingredients:
• Pork tenderloin — 500 g
• Cornstarch — 100 g
• Egg — 1
• Bell pepper (red) — 1
• Bell pepper (green) — 1
• Canned pineapple chunks — 150 g
• Vegetable oil for frying — 500 ml
• Rice vinegar — 3 tbsp
• Sugar — 4 tbsp
• Ketchup — 3 tbsp
• Soy sauce — 1 tbsp
• Water — 100 ml
• Cornstarch for sauce — 1 tbsp
• Salt — pinch
• Garlic — 2 cloves
Preparation:
Cut the pork into pieces 3×2 cm, 1.5 cm thick. Salt with a pinch of salt and leave for 10 minutes at room temperature. The meat should become slightly moist from the released juices.
Beat the egg with a fork until smooth. Coat each piece of pork first in the beaten egg, then generously in cornstarch. The batter should completely cover the meat in an even layer without gaps.
Heat vegetable oil in a wok or deep pan to 180°C (a wooden chopstick dipped in the oil should bubble actively). Fry the meat in batches of 5-6 pieces for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. The finished pieces should float freely and make a hissing sound. Transfer to paper towels.
Cut the bell peppers into 2×2 cm squares. Slice the garlic into thin pieces. Drain the syrup from the pineapples. In a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar, sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, and water until the sugar is completely dissolved.
In a clean wok or pan, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil over high heat. Fry the garlic for 10 seconds until fragrant, add the peppers and stir-fry for 1 minute with constant stirring. The vegetables should remain crisp but soften slightly at the edges.
Pour the sauce into the pan, bring to a boil. Dissolve 1 tbsp cornstarch in 2 tbsp cold water, pour into the sauce in a thin stream with constant stirring. Cook for 30-40 seconds until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy, coating the spoon with a thick film.
Add the pineapple chunks and fried pork to the sauce. Quickly toss with a spatula for 20-30 seconds so each piece is coated with sauce. It's important to work fast so the batter stays crispy. Serve immediately with steamed white rice.
💡 Fact: This dish appeared in Zhejiang province and was originally called 'tenderloin in vinegar'. In the 1960s the recipe was adapted for Western restaurants, adding more sugar and pineapples, and it became one of the most recognizable Chinese dishes in the world.
🍜 Chow Mein (炒面)
Fried egg noodles with vegetables and meat, cooked in a wok over high heat. The dish comes out aromatic, with a light smoky 'wok hei' — the characteristic flavor of cooking over open flame.
Ingredients:
• Egg noodles — 300 g
• Chicken breast (or pork) — 200 g
• Napa cabbage — 150 g
• Carrot — 1 medium
• Onion — 1 medium
• Green onion — 3 stalks
• Garlic — 3 cloves
• Fresh ginger — 2 cm piece
• Soy sauce — 3 tbsp
• Oyster sauce — 2 tbsp
• Dark soy sauce — 1 tsp
• Sesame oil — 1 tsp
• Vegetable oil — 3 tbsp
• Sugar — 1 tsp
• White pepper — pinch
Preparation:
Boil the egg noodles according to package instructions minus 1 minute (they should be slightly undercooked). Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water and drizzle with 1 tsp vegetable oil, mix. The noodles should not stick together in a clump.
Cut the chicken into thin strips 0.5 cm wide and 5 cm long (across the grain). Cut the carrot into thin matchsticks or use a vegetable peeler for long ribbons. Shred the cabbage into strips 1 cm wide. Cut the onion into half-rings, green onion into 3-4 cm pieces. Mince the garlic and ginger.
In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and white pepper. Stir until the sugar dissolves. This sauce should be ready in advance, as the frying process goes very fast.
Heat the wok or large pan over maximum heat until a light smoke appears (1-2 minutes). Pour in 1 tbsp oil, add the chicken and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes with constant stirring. The meat should be completely white and slightly browned at the edges. Transfer to a bowl.
Add another 1 tbsp oil to the wok, fry the garlic and ginger for 15 seconds until intensely aromatic. Add the onion and carrot, stir-fry for 1.5 minutes with active stirring. The carrot should soften slightly but remain crunchy. Add the cabbage, stir-fry for another 1 minute until the leaves wilt slightly.
Return the chicken to the wok, add the noodles and pour in the prepared sauce. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, constantly mixing with a spatula or tongs, lifting the noodles from bottom to top. The noodles should be evenly colored light brown and soaked in sauce. No liquid should remain at the bottom.
At the very end, add the green onion, mix for 20 seconds and immediately remove from heat. Plate and serve immediately while the dish is hot and aromatic.
💡 Fact: Chow mein literally translates as 'fried noodles' and exists in hundreds of regional variations across China. Each province adds its own ingredients — from seafood in Canton to hot peppers in Sichuan. The most important element of real chow mein is 'wok hei', the smoky aroma that's only possible when frying over very high heat.
🎋 Nian Gao (年糕)
Sticky New Year cake made from glutinous rice flour with a delicate chewy texture and delicate sweetness. Traditional Chinese New Year treat, symbolizing growth and prosperity in the coming year.
Ingredients:
• Glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour) — 400 g
• Sugar — 200 g
• Water — 400 ml
• Vegetable oil — 2 tbsp
• Red dates (optional) — 8-10
• White sesame seeds — 2 tbsp
Preparation:
Prepare a round or square pan 20 cm in diameter with high sides (at least 5 cm). Line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, grease generously with vegetable oil. The paper should fit tightly, without folds.
In a large bowl, mix the glutinous rice flour and sugar. In a separate pot, boil the water, cool for 2 minutes to about 80°C (should be hot but not boiling). Pour the hot water into the flour gradually, stirring vigorously with a whisk.
Continue whisking the batter for 3-4 minutes until you get an absolutely smooth, uniform mass without lumps. The batter should have the consistency of thin sour cream and slowly drip from the whisk in a continuous ribbon. Add 2 tbsp vegetable oil and mix.
If using dates, remove the pits and cut them into thin strips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the surface with a spatula. Decorate the surface with date strips in a pattern and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Prepare a steamer or large pot with a rack. Pour in water so it doesn't touch the pan (4-5 cm from the bottom). Bring the water to an active boil. Place the pan with batter, cover with a lid, wrapping it with a towel to prevent condensation.
Steam for 45-50 minutes over medium heat, maintaining constant active boiling. Do not open the lid during cooking. Nian gao is ready when the surface becomes glossy and springy, and when pressed with a finger quickly returns to shape.
Turn off the heat, leave the pan in the steamer for 5 minutes with the lid slightly open. Then carefully remove and cool completely at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Nian gao will become firmer and more springy as it cools. Cut into thin slices with a sharp knife dipped in water.
💡 Fact: The name 'nian gao' sounds the same as the phrase 'higher every year' in Chinese, so this cake became a symbol of growing prosperity. It's always made before the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), and leftovers are kept and eaten for several weeks — it's believed to bring good luck. In southern provinces, nian gao slices are also pan-fried until golden crisp.