Best Overall
The Essential Wok Cookbook
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Everyone loves a good Chinese recipe for dinner. Not just because it's low in carbs, but because Chinese cuisine is packed with savory goodness. With its healthy ingredients, it also lowers the rates of obesity and heart disease and even helps keep diabetes away. Daily takeout isn’t a sustainable option, so you might as well learn how to cook easy recipes at home! Luckily for you, we've read and reviewed the best Chinese cookbooks of 2024 to bring you this curated list. The Essential Wok Cookbook is our favorite cookbook for easy-to-make Chinese recipes, and you can take a crack at the other top-rated options on our list!
Buying Guide: Chinese Cookbooks
What To Look for in a Chinese Cookbook
Recipes
Check the cookbook for its type of recipes. Searching for a takeout cookbook would be a waste of money if you're looking for everyday Chinese cuisine. We also recommend buyers buy specific-style cookbooks, which are much more detailed and well-explained. Also, check the number of recipes in the book, and pick one that suits your needs.
Author
You find out a lot about a book by judging its author. There are many reputable chefs out there who have created Chinese cookbooks. It may be a good idea to research the author of the book you want to buy to ensure they are legitimate.
Photos
Food photos are an essential part of a Chinese cookbook. Not just because of the looks, but also for the readers to know what their dish should look like. It also gives the readers ideas about how to plate their dishes.
Durability
You can determine the durability of a Chinese cookbook by judging its quality. If the cookbook has a hardcover back, it is strong enough to secure the pages inside. Also, look for a spiral binding, preferably a plastic coil, as it is reliable and doesn’t make the book too bulky.
Add-ons
If you have an above-average budget for a Chinese cookbook, buy one with add-ons. Extra features like tips and techniques can elevate your cooking game.
Benefits of Chinese Cookbooks
Equipment knowledge
Most Chinese cookbooks offer extensive knowledge about the equipment used while cooking. Since Chinese cuisines require specific equipment, like a wok and steaming baskets for certain tasks, it is better to go for a Chinese cookbook if you want to master your Chinese cooking skills.
Exact measurements
Not all cookbooks or recipe books have specific measurements for every recipe. Some cookbooks state amounts in generic terms, rather than specific amounts, which makes cooking difficult for new chefs.
Classic Chinese techniques
Chinese cookbooks can be useful, as they explain in detail the different techniques since Chinese cuisine is all about technique. Many Chinese cookbooks also display illustrative demonstrations to clarify the technical steps of folding or stir-frying.
What To Expect in a Chinese Cookbook Recipe
Introduction
This section offers a brief introduction to the dish and what flavors you can find in it. Some Chinese cookbooks also mention the texture or background of the dish. It also tells you which style the dish falls under, like the street style, or fancy restaurant style.
Special instructions
This section is rare. However, it adds a plus point to the cookbook. It mentions any step involved in the recipe, like flambe or roasting, to give the reader an idea about its difficulty level.
Equipment list
Chinese cookbooks usually describe the special things you might need for a dish. For example, a recipe for dumplings might mention bamboo steam baskets so the reader could prep the equipment beforehand.
Serving suggestion
This is the part where the Chinese cookbook mentions serving suggestions or the number of people whom the recipe is suited for. This is important because most cookbooks have a low serving suggestion, so the readers can multiply the quantity for a bigger batch.
Time estimate
Knowing the time for meal prep and cooking can be a great help when you’ve got a busy schedule. The estimated time in front of each recipe is minimal, so you can work on a recipe accordingly.
Ingredients
It is important to know what you’re cooking with and if all the ingredients are available or not. The ingredient list can save you time, and you can set your working station with all the ingredients in one place for quick cooking.
Instructions
The main part of the cookbook structure is the structure. We prefer going for step-by-step instructions, as they are easily understandable and brief. A paragraph-wise structure can be confusing sometimes, and there is a high chance that you miss an important step.
What Type of Cuisines Should a Chinese Cookbook Cover
Before you start cooking Chinese food, you should first know that Chinese food as we know it is made up of eight culinary cuisines. These cuisines are defined by the various regions and subcultures of China. Most Chinese cookbooks written in English cover all eight cuisines. Here's a quick breakdown of each one.
Lu cuisine
Also known as Shandong cuisine, this cuisine originated from the Eastern parts of China and is famous for creating food from scratch with fresh ingredients. This type of food is mostly savory and salty, with a tender inside and crispy outside. Dishes like stir-fried or bun-wrapped vegetables belong to this cuisine. Seafood and vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, and garlic are mostly used in the dishes of this cuisine.
Chuan cuisine
Also known as Sichuan cuisine, the Chuan style of Chinese cooking was adopted from the province of Sichuan. The food is famous for its hot and spicy flavors. Most street foods like kung pao chicken and hot pot belong to this cuisine. It involves a variety of mushrooms, meat, seafood, and most importantly, chili. Unlike other spicy cuisines around the world, Sichuan cuisine is known for its numbing and searing level of spicy, which is a favorite for spicy food lovers!
Yue cuisine
Yue cuisine is a widely famous Chinese cooking style worldwide. Also known as Cantonese cuisine, Yu cuisine covers light, hearty dishes like dumplings, rice rolls, and pork buns. This cuisine includes vegetables, meat, and sweet sauces. Hailing from the Southern coast of China, it also features lots of seafood.
Su cuisine
Every day Chinese food falls under Su cuisine from the Jiangsu province. Also known as Jiangsu cuisine, it mostly has umami and mild flavors through basic spices that highlight the main produce, usually meat. Dishes like Yang Chao fried rice, sweet and sour pork, and Nanjing salted duck are of Su cuisine origin.
Hui cuisine
Hailing from the landlocked province of Anhui, Hui cuisine is known for its liberal use of herbs and vegetables. It's the Chinese cuisine that's closest to "country" or "organic" as you can get. Some popular dishes include homestyle tofu and steamed bamboo tenders. If you're looking for a healthy cookbook, this is the best cuisine to try.
Min cuisine
Also known as Fujian cuisine, Min cuisine is similar to Hui cuisine in its focus on bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and other "wild foods" from the mountains, with the addition of seafood. Min food is known for being umami, light, and flavorful. They're known for their frequent use of seafood-based condiments and fermented products like rice wine and shrimp sauce.
Xiang cuisine
Also known as Hunan cuisine, Xiang cuisine is known to be spicy, similar to Sichuan cuisine. But unlike Chuan cuisine, Xiang's spicy food is considered a hot or dry type of spicy, compared to the numbing heat that comes from Sichuan food.
Zhe cuisine
Zhe cuisine from the Zhejiang province is known for its focus on fresh seafood, freshwater fish, and bamboo shoots. Compared to all of the other cuisines, it's the closest Chinese cuisine to Japanese cuisine. It has mellow and light tastes and is rarely spicy or strong in umami.
Top Picks
- Best Overall: The Essential Wok Cookbook
- Easiest To Use: Easy Chinese Cookbook
- Best For Busy Families: Chinese Takeout Cookbook
- Best For Beginners: Every Grain Of Rice
- Most Versatile: The Wok: Recipes And Techniques
Reviews
Easiest to Use
Easy Chinese Cookbook
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Best for Busy Families
Chinese Takeout Cookbook
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Best for Beginners
Every Grain Of Rice
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Most Versatile
The Wok: Recipes And Techniques
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FAQs
Why should I get a Chinese cookbook?
Online recipes might be a good option if you're cooking once, although the recipe might not be authentic. Chinese cookbooks usually have original recipes and are ideal for people who tend to experiment with the authentic Chinese cooking style more than just one time.
What are the preferred bindings for thick Chinese cookbooks?
Plastic coil binding is ideal for thick cookbooks. The reason is that it is durable and flexible at the same time. It is also lightweight, compared to sewn binding, which can tear the cookbook apart.
What is the difference between a Chinese cookbook and a Chinese recipe book?
A Chinese cookbook is ideal for someone looking for detailed recipes and tips. It also has extensive information about equipment and techniques. A recipe book only mentions the ingredients and instructions, which are often not well-described.