If you've marveled at the vegetable-chopping, wok-flaming and noodle-stretching show behind the tastiest of meals, or puzzled over the secrets behind your favorite dishes, Beijing's hutong cooking schools offer you the chance to grab a cleaver, start chopping, and learn how to recreate these delicious Chinese dishes in your own kitchen.

These classes are also a great window into the real culture of China. Here, food - and shared meals in particular - lie at the heart of all social relations and all defining junctures in life. And the authentic hutong and courtyard settings of these cooking schools will take you into that life, deep inside Beijing's fast-disappearing traditional neighborhoods.

Hutong Cuisine

Beijing's original hutong cooking school, Hutong Cuisine remains the best value and offers the most hands-on practice. Chunyi Zhou, a Guangzhou native, founded the school after leaving her career as a chemist to pursue her passion for food and cooking. That passion shines through, and Chunyi conveys a rich understanding of local ingredients and seasonings to students through lots of hands-on practice. Chunyi's English is very strong, allowing an easy and open exchange of ideas.

In each class she demonstrates five dishes, and students practice making two or three of them. Each day's menu is structured around dishes that share a specific cooking technique, such as steaming or dry-frying, so that students also learn a cooking method. Chunyi does not dumb down the preparations for foreigners and will challenge your skills. Have you ever tried to peel carrots with a cleaver? Chunyi will show you how.  

Classes are held in a small open courtyard space (covered and heated in winter) and end with a shared meal under the shade of a pomegranate tree. The only caveat is that because of the complete hands on approach, the class takes four hours and when it is full, can even run overtime.

Schedule:  Mornings 9-10:30am: market tour (MThSat); or seasonings and knife skills lesson (TuFrSun); 10:30am-2:30pm cooking class (everyday except Wed).  Private evening classes can be arranged.
Cost:  Cooking class 210RMB/person; market tour (70RMB); seasoning and knife skills lesson (70RMB).
Class size:  No class minimum; 6 maximum
Contact:  Located on Jiao dao kou nan jie, Dongmian Hua Hutong, Courtyard 15 (east off of Nanluoguxiang). Call (8610) 8401 4788 / 134 2631 7097, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; http://www.hutongcuisine.com


The Hutong

Co-founded by two Australians, Mark and Stacy, The Hutong is a space designed as a Chinese tea house, offering a central place to learn about Chinese culture. Classes and workshops center around three core Chinese cultural dimensions-tea, cooking and traditional medicine-and extend to personal development.

Each cooking class introduces a different Chinese regional cuisine, with each class teaching three dishes. The level of hands on participation varies by instructor but in general all students practice preparing ingredients of each dish hands-on and the instructor demonstrates how they are cooked, with some student participation during the cooking process.

Bilingual instructors ensure good engagement with the students. Although classes can be large (maximum 8-14 depending on instructor, so ask when you register), The Hutong offers a good introduction to the basics of Chinese cooking while also providing an opportunity to experience other Chinese cultural elements and enhance your time in Beijing.

Schedule:  Mon 6:45-8:45pm; Tues 10am-12pm; and Sat 2-4pm; private classes/events by appointment (note: Other Asian cuisines are taught Wed 10am-12pm, and sometimes on Sat 2-4pm)
Cost:  220RMB/person, 1000RMB if you purchase a 5 class package
Class size:  3 person minimum; 8-14 maximum (set by instructor)
Contact:  Located on Jiu Dao Wan Zhong Xiang Hutong (九道弯中巷胡同) near Bei Xin Qiao subway station. Call (8610) 8915 3613, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Note: Sandra teaches Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese classes at the Hutong! Check the website's Workshop Calendar for details: http://www.the-hutong.com


Black Sesame Kitchen

Newest to the cadre of hutong cooking schools, Black Sesame Kitchen's cooking studio uses experienced professional Chinese cooking teachers to lead the cooking instruction, with Jen Lin Liu, a food writer and author who founded Black Sesame, facilitating the class and sharing stories of both the chefs and her own cultural and culinary adventures.  

The class is primarily demonstration, with the chef demonstrating three dishes, followed by each participant pairing up with a partner to make one dish of their choice. When trying our hand at laziji (crispy deep-fried chicken bits buried in dried chilies), Chef Zhang saved our fingertips by showing us how to properly split bone-in chicken thighs with a cleaver.

Traditional Chinese furniture accents the two-room hutong space, which Jen has renovated with a sparse modern aesthetic. There are exposed beams and graceful cloth-lined bird cages as ceiling lamps. Classes can be large (maximum 10), but move at a comfortable pace and end with a relaxed shared meal.

Schedule:  Cooking class every Thurs 11am-1:30pm; Sat, 1pm-4pm; private classes/events
Cost:  Thurs class 250RMB (US$37)/person; Sat class 300RMB (US$45)/person; private classes 500RMB/person
Class size:  No minimum for Sat class; 10 maximum
Contact:  Located on Heizima (Black Sesame) Hutong (黑芝麻胡同) off of Nanluoguxiang.  Call 1369 147 4408, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; http://www.blacksesamekitchen.com/