Mastering the art of Asian cookery

GCSE and A Level Food and Nutrition students were treated to an Asian Cookery Masterclass this week when representatives from the "Healthy Chinese Cuisine Ambassadors" Project, came to Pipers to deliver a demonstration focussed on Chinese food.

The sessions began with a presentation about China and Chinese food, culture and celebrations. The group considered the importance of food in Chinese festivals, for example zongzi prepared for “The Dragon Boat Festival”, “Mid-Autumn Festival” mooncakes and the symbolic foods consumed at Chinese New Year including fish, dumplings and long noodles. They then moved on to talk about the different cuisines of the various regions of China - from the crispy duck and steamed buns of Beijing in the North, to the rice based dishes of the south and Sichuan style food of the mid-west.

Following this the representatives talked in more detail about the “magic formula” of Chinese cooking and the fact that it relies on three things: protein, vegetables and sauce. There was then a demonstration of how to prepare the popular Chinese dish – Chicken and Black Bean Sauce, before the girls had a go at making it themselves.

It was a fantastic experience from the girls who picked up a lot of tips such as the best ways to marinate meat, how to arrange your vegetables into a “wok clock” to make preparation easier and how to ensure the oil is hot enough to cook in.

By the end of the session there were some delicious looking dishes on display. Head of Food and Nutrition, Mrs Orr said, “Today’s demonstration has been really beneficial for the girls. As well as learning about the traditions of Chinese cookery it has provided them with first–hand knowledge of some Asian cookery techniques which will help them enormously as they plan and create their own dishes in the future.”