Explore the powerful role of fire in Northern Chinese meat cookery, from smoking and roasting to braising and stir-frying. Learn how traditional techniques reveal the region’s resourcefulness and flavor philosophy.

Discover the rich history of meat in Northern China — from Muslim influences and the rise of lamb, to the impact of the Yuan Dynasty and beyond. This deep dive explores how regional, religious, and historical forces shaped a meat-loving culture.

Cooking Chinese food can be overwhelming at first. It begins with a long shopping list of unfamiliar bottles, pastes, and vegetables, a trip to the Chinese supermarket, and hunting down ingredients often labeled without English. If you manage to get this far, the next challenge is adapting to a completely different cooking approach. And we haven’t even got to the kitchen yet.