Chinese Cooking Demystified Substack

Poor Man's Stir Fry: Chili-Fried Chili (辣椒炒辣椒)

...and why spicy food is considered 'humble' in China.

Apr 14 • Chinese Cooking Demystified

70

11

12

Why China Hates Buffalo Wings (and how to fix it)

Not a single one of my Chinese friends likes Buffalo Wings. What gives?

Apr 1 • Chinese Cooking Demystified

69

24

5

March 2026

WTF is 'Red Oil' Chili Bean Paste?

It's a critical ingredient in Sichuan cooking. It's also super confusing.

Mar 23 • Chinese Cooking Demystified

60

7

The Yunnan-Sichuan fusion of 'Youqiang' Stir Fries

The spicy, herbaceous flavor profile that's surprisingly modern, and... a bit of a puzzle.

Mar 9 • Chinese Cooking Demystified

55

9

4

February 2026

The Food Scene of Shenzhen

Where to eat in Shenzhen, Guangdong

Feb 15 • Chinese Cooking Demystified

86

3

9

How to Use Our Restaurant Guides

Our restaurant travel guides will use Dianping extensively. Here's how to use it.

Feb 15 • Chinese Cooking Demystified

6

2

Three Chinese Halal Dishes to Smother Over Rice

The food of the Yunnan Hui sits in the Venn diagram of "Rice-centric Chinese Cuisines" and "Chinese Halal"

Feb 6 • Chinese Cooking Demystified

66

5

7

January 2026

The Zha Jiang Mian Extended Universe

Literally "Fried Sauce Noodles", you can find variations all throughout China. This is four of them.

Jan 30 • Chinese Cooking Demystified

63

12

4

Can Chinese chefs appreciate western food?

Fuchsia Dunlop brought some Sichuan chefs to the French Laundry, and they didn't like it. Here's why I think that is.

Jan 13 • Chinese Cooking Demystified

241

58

15

The Food of Dai-land

A dip (heh) into some of our favorite food in the world

Jan 7 • Chinese Cooking Demystified

64

16

2

December 2025

The Chinese Garlic Smash

How to chop garlic in literally three seconds (for various skill levels)

Dec 28, 2025 • Chinese Cooking Demystified

113

17

13

Jingpo Rice Balls (景颇饭团)

A spicy rice ball from Western Yunnan, that uses a technique I've never seen before.

Dec 10, 2025 • Chinese Cooking Demystified

66

9

4