Folding jiaozi is a family job in northern China: on the eve of Lunar New Year whole households sit round the table making hundreds of dumplings, and a hutong class in Beijing teaches you the same pleat in an afternoon. China has no single national cuisine to learn, so the class you take depends on where you are: dumplings and noodles in the wheat-growing north, mapo tofu and chilli oil in Sichuan, dim sum in Guangzhou, soup dumplings in Shanghai.
The best-known classes for foreigners are in Yangshuo, among the karst peaks of Guangxi, where farmhouse schools start with a walk through the morning market. Chengdu and Xi’an are the great food cities for walking tours, with evening tours that take you to street stalls and small restaurants you would never find alone.
Classes are short, usually three or four hours, and good value: most cost about 300 to 700 yuan (about $40 to $100) including the meal you cook.
At a Glance#
- Dumplings and noodles: hutong classes in Beijing, noodle-pulling and dumpling classes in Xi’an.
- Sichuan cooking: half-day classes with a spice market visit in Chengdu, famous for mapo tofu, kung pao chicken and chilli oil.
- Farmhouse classes: Yangshuo near Guilin, with outdoor kitchens under the karst peaks.
- Food tours: evening street-food walks in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi’an, Guangzhou and Lijiang.
- Tea: Longjing (Dragon Well) tea villages above West Lake in Hangzhou, and Pu’er tea country in Yunnan.
- Costs: about 300 to 700 yuan for a group class or food tour; private classes cost more.
Beijing#
Beijing classes focus on northern home cooking: jiaozi (boiled dumplings), baozi (steamed buns), hand-made noodles and a few stir-fries. Most run in courtyard houses in the hutongs around Houhai and the Drum Tower, and many start with a visit to a neighbourhood wet market to buy vegetables and meat. A three-hour group dumpling class costs from about $70 (around 500 yuan); private classes with a market tour and hotel pickup cost more. Peking duck is not something you make in a class; for that, book a duck restaurant and watch the carving at the table.
Food tours fill the evenings. Lost Plate runs small-group walks through the hutongs with stops for dumplings, lamb skewers, Beijing-style hot pot and local beer, for about 400 to 550 yuan a person.
Chengdu and Sichuan#
Chengdu, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, is the place to learn the cooking of Sichuan. Half-day classes start at a market, where you learn to tell the grades of Sichuan peppercorn and dried chilli, then cook three or four dishes: mapo tofu, kung pao chicken, twice-cooked pork, dan dan noodles or fish-fragrant aubergine. Expect about 450 yuan, or $70 to $100 through booking sites.
Outside the city, the Pidu district is home to Pixian doubanjiang, the fermented broad bean and chilli paste behind most Sichuan dishes, and the Sichuan Cuisine Museum there has exhibits on the paste and the cuisine plus a kitchen where visitors can cook. In the evening, food tours in Chengdu take you to hot pot, rabbit-head stalls and noodle shops. Chongqing, two hours away by train, is the home of the fiery beef-tallow hot pot.
Xi'an#
Xi’an is a noodle city, and its classes teach the wide, belt-like biangbiang noodles, hand-pulled noodles and dumplings. The Muslim Quarter behind the Drum Tower is the setting for most food tours, at its liveliest after dark: roujiamo (stewed meat in flatbread), yangrou paomo (mutton soup with bread you tear into it yourself), cumin lamb skewers, persimmon cakes and liangpi cold noodles. Lost Plate and other small operators run morning and evening tours from about $49.
Yangshuo and Guilin#
Yangshuo made cooking classes part of a China trip. Its schools, among them the Yangshuo Cooking School and Cloud 9, work from farmhouses in the countryside outside town, with each student at a wok station looking out over rice fields and karst peaks. Classes last three to four hours, start with a market tour, include hotel transfers in Yangshuo, and teach Guangxi dishes such as beer fish, stuffed vegetables and egg dumplings. A class at Cloud 9 costs about 280 yuan, and others charge about 300 yuan and up. Pair a class with a Li River cruise from Guilin and a few days of cycling between the villages.
Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hangzhou#
In Shanghai, classes teach xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), shengjian bao (pan-fried buns) and red-braised pork, and breakfast food tours in the old lanes cover jianbing crepes, scallion pancakes and fresh soy milk. Guangzhou is the home of dim sum; classes teach har gow and siu mai, and food tours cover the old Xiguan district. Shunde, south of the city and another UNESCO City of Gastronomy, is known for double-skin milk pudding and fish dishes.
Hangzhou is China’s tea capital. In the Longjing (Dragon Well) villages in the hills west of West Lake, tea farmers welcome visitors to the terraces, show how the leaves are roasted by hand in a hot wok, and serve the new tea. The picking season starts in mid to late March, and tea made before the Qingming festival in early April is the most prized. The China National Tea Museum nearby is free.
Yunnan and the west#
In Yunnan, Lijiang and Dali have small classes in Naxi and Bai home cooking, with wild mushrooms in the summer rains, goat cheese and rice noodles. Food tours run in Lijiang’s old town. Further south, Menghai in Xishuangbanna is the heart of Pu’er tea country, where tea farms show the pressing of tea cakes. For wine, Yinchuan in Ningxia is the base for visiting the wineries along the foot of the Helan Mountains, China’s best-known wine region.
Booking and costs#
- Group classes: about 300 to 700 yuan (about $40 to $100) for three to four hours, including the meal and usually a market visit.
- Private classes: often $100 to $200 a person, with hotel pickup.
- Food tours: about 350 to 550 yuan for an evening walk with tastings and drinks.
- Booking: book through the school’s site, Trip.com, Klook or GetYourGuide, and ask whether the class runs in English. Many small schools take bookings by WeChat and payment by Alipay or WeChat Pay.
- Diets: tell the school in advance if you are vegetarian or have a peanut or shellfish allergy; many sauces contain meat stock or oyster sauce.
Book your class early in the trip. You learn what the dishes are called and how they should taste, which makes ordering in restaurants much easier for the rest of your stay.
For regional food across the continent, see the Asia food and cuisine guide and food around the world. Our China itineraries show how to fit Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu and Yangshuo into one trip.
Best places for cooking classes in China#
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More Things to Do#
China cooking class FAQs#
Where is the best place to take a cooking class in China?
Chengdu for Sichuan cooking, Yangshuo for a farmhouse class in beautiful scenery, and Beijing or Xi’an for dumplings and noodles. Pick the region whose food you like most, as Chinese regional cuisines differ hugely.
How much does a cooking class in China cost?
Group classes cost about 300 to 700 yuan (about $40 to $100) for three to four hours, including the meal. Yangshuo is cheapest, from about 280 yuan. Private classes with hotel pickup cost $100 to $200 a person.
Are cooking classes in China taught in English?
The schools aimed at foreign visitors in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi’an and Yangshuo teach in English. Check when you book, as many local classes are in Chinese only.
Can I visit a tea plantation in China?
Yes. The Longjing villages above West Lake in Hangzhou are a short taxi ride from the city, and farmers there show visitors the picking and hand roasting. The season runs from mid-March into May.
Are there vegetarian cooking classes in China?
Most schools will adapt dishes if you ask in advance. Many classic dishes, such as mapo tofu and dumplings, have vegetarian versions, but sauces often contain meat stock or oyster sauce, so say so clearly.