Wok

Crisp, golden brown youtiao is a staple at the Chinese breakfast table.

Da pan ji is a hearty Xinjiang-style dish of chicken and vegetables over noodles.

There are no insects in this Sichuan noodle dish; the name refers to the way the bits of pork cling to the noodles.

Give the humble eggplant the attention it deserves with a rich and spicy sauce.

This easy-to-savor chile oil is traditionally made with a specific chile, èr jīngtiáo.

Heilongjiang in Northeast China does not have a huge repertoire of famous recipes, but this eggplant preparation should put it on the map.

Dan dan noodles are a popular Sichuan street snack, named after the bamboo shoulder pole used to carry it.

Plenty of seasoned cornstarch and a clean vat of high-heating oil is the secret to light and crispy fried salt and pepper squid.

Braise tofu in an aromatic and spice-filled broth that’s used not just once but over and over again.

Deep-fried tofu gets braised with shiitake mushrooms in soy sauce and Chinese wine for this easy dish.

These simple, flavorful noodles are seasoned with soy sauce and a sprinkle of umami-rich dashi powder, plus three dimensions of garlic: fresh, fried, and infused into oil.

The crunchiness and juiciness of flowering chives combined with tender, lightly seasoned pork is an unbeatable combination—and this dish is super quick to make.

This mixed vegetable dish takes its inspiration from Buddhist vegetarian cooking and can include any combination of ingredients that represent good luck, prosperity, happiness, family wholeness, and longevity. 

Rice cakes are available sliced, marble-shaped, and in batons. There are dried versions, but the refrigerated version is widely available and easier to work with. You can use any combination of vegetables and seasonings here, so feel free to experiment with flavors.

Packed with greens, these boiled dumplings easily go vegetarian by switching out the ground pork for crumbled tofu.

Named for the famous 8th century Tang dynasty consort, Yang Guifei, this dish of juicy dark-meat chicken and peppers is sweet, sour, and just a little spicy.

This casserole relies on the complementary flavors and textures of taro and pork belly: one meaty, the other earthy; one chewy, the other tender.

This roll can be filled with whatever you like: beef, pork, or vegetables. The combination in this recipe is my favorite.

This recipe moves fast—stay on top of it by prepping and lining up your ingredients before you start cooking.

Dark soy sauce along with regular soy sauce is what gives these wings their rich color. We like to use all flats—arguably the best part of the wing!—but a mix with drumettes or whole wings works too.