14 China Cooking Classes to Book First

1.Half-Day Chengdu Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 465 reviews · from $90Our pick

Meet your English-speaking guide at Chilli Cool’s Kitchen, visit Liangjiaxiang market, taste local produce and spices, then cook several Sichuan dishes with a chef. Lance, Jerry, and the kitchen team help with translation, technique, vegetarian requests, recipes, and the final meal.

“It took a while to get this book, but I truly loved everything about this tour. Jerry was great and personable. I loved going around a real Chinese market learning how the local people pick and choose their food. I even got to try my hand at making dumplings (I was very good 2 out of 10 times). From there we went to the kitchen where I met Auntie Lee (Chef Lee). She was wonderful and with Jerry translating I was able to make a good mapu tofu and an excellent twice cooked pork and pretty darn nice cucumber salad. I couldn't recommend this tour enough and I hope more…”

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2.Flavors of Beijing: Eat Like A Real Chinese

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 78 reviews · from $99

Join Chef Chao for a Beijing market walk, condiment lesson, and hands-on cooking class in a local home. You may prepare dumplings, noodles, dim sum, fish, pork, or beef, with a vegetarian menu on one scheduled day. Groups are capped at 12.

“This was one of our favourite experiences in Beijing. Chao the chef was really friendly and speaks excellent English. He took us on a market tour, showing us various foods and letting us try things. We then learnt how to make dumplings. Chao demonstrated the technique and then we made our own. He taught us knife skills and how to make the dumpling, fillings and cookings. He provided all recipes and techniques on pieces of paper for us to take home. After a busy morning cooking we were then able to eat all our dumplings which are delicious. It was really fun to also experience going inside a Hutong home.…”

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3.Beijing: Dumpling Making Workshop with Meal and Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 69 reviews · 3 hours · from $35

Meet your English-speaking guide at 16:30, then learn to roll dough, prepare or work with fillings, and shape dumplings in several styles. Hosts such as Eric, Jenny, Janine, and Heyang lead the class, followed by dumplings, local dishes, tea, and drinks in a traditional Beijing setting.

“Heyang and his sister are excellent teachers. I booked this knowing nothing about how to make dumplings. But they guide you through the entire process and the meaning of dumplings in Chinese culture and cuisine. We made dozens of both meat and vegetable dumplings. I got to chat with the other participants as the dumplings were boiled. In the end, we got to eat a delicious meal and have a few beers. Highly recommended experience in Beijing.”

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4.Online Cooking Class Beijing Dumplings and Cuisine by Sunflowerli Renowned Chef

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 65 reviews · from $20Best value

Join Chef Miss Sunflower Li from Beijing for a private 60 to 90 minute Zoom cooking class. Choose dumplings, hand-pulled noodles, dim sum, fried rice, mapo tofu, kung pao chicken, or a vegan option. You shop for ingredients in advance, then cook from scratch at home.

“We had an absolutely amazing cooking class with Sunflower. It was both fun and very informative. We learned how to make authentic dumplings, Kung Pao chicken, and bok choy with mushrooms. We felt like we were in her home in Beijing Read more”

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5.Chengdu: Cooking Class with Fresh Market Half Day Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 42 reviews · 4.5 hours · from $82

Meet Lance, Jerry, or another English-speaking guide at Liang Jia Xiang Station for a market walk and hands-on Sichuan cooking class. Learn about local spices, cook several dishes with a chef, then eat your meal with tea, beer, or soft drinks.

“10/10 experience, one of my favourite activities in China so far! If you are looking for an authentic small group cooking experience, don’t hesitate to book! Our guide Lance was fantastic, the market visit was almost as enjoyable as the cooking class itself. Lance even purchased different fruits and foods for us to try from the market that were new to us. The dishes we cooked were super tasty and there was something for everyone!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟”

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6.Shanghai-Cooking Dumpling & Meal in Local Family-w/Vegan

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 36 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $82

Join English-speaking host Bonnie and her mother in Jing’an for a 3.5-hour Shanghai food experience. You’ll make dumplings from scratch, taste local dishes, drink tea, and get personal tips for Shanghai and nearby cities. Small groups are limited to six, with vegan options available by advance notice.

“A truly special and authentic experience. Bonnie was fantastic: very knowledgeable, kind, and professional. You can clearly tell she has hosted this experience many times, as everything is well organized and feels very natural. She explains each step calmly and really involves you in the dumpling-making process, letting you get hands-on multiple times. Bonnie’s mom is lovely and brings true family tradition to the table. Cooking with them makes you feel immediately at home. It’s wonderful to prepare dumplings from scratch, try several different types, and then enjoy them together during the final dinner, all prepared by the family. The atmosphere is warm and genuine — it truly feels like…”

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8.Half-Day steamed Buns Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · from $80

Join an English-speaking guide such as Lance or Jerry for a four-hour Chengdu food experience. Visit a local spice market, learn about Sichuan ingredients, make Baozi in a traditional courtyard kitchen, then eat your buns with tea, beer, or soft drinks.

“A great experience, the local market was fun, interesting and we got to try and use a little Chinese language. Lance our guide was great from start to finish and took lots of fabulous pictures which meant we could get with our cookery class. Read more”

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9.Half-Day Professional Mapo Tofu Cooking with a Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · from $69

Meet Jerry or the Chilli Cool China team in Chengdu for a market visit, Sichuan tea, and a hands-on mapo tofu lesson with a professional chef. You’ll explore local spices, cook in a professional kitchen, eat your dish with a drink, and take home recipes and a souvenir.

“100% Recommend this class. We were met at the station by Jerry and taken to a local food market. The food Market was an experience in its self and we ended up picking up some spices to take back home with us. After the Market Jerry tooRead more”

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11.China’s Favourite Street Food Cooking Workshop

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · from $80

At a private workshop in Beijing’s Dongcheng district, Dom teaches you how to mix batter, cook jian bing on the pan, and fill it with traditional savory ingredients or playful choices such as chocolate and banana. You’ll hear the dish’s story, make several crepes, and return home with useful cooking know-how.

“I did the jian bing workshop with some of my friends in September. It was a ton of fun! I really enjoyed getting to make as many jian bings as I wanted and getting to both make the dough and cook it on the pan myself. I definitely needed a few tries to get the techniquRead more”

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12.Private Home Cooking Class with Shanghai Mama

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · from $199

Meet your guide at 10:00 am or 4:00 pm for a private market visit, snack tasting, and hands-on cooking class in a Shanghai Mama’s home. Guides including FeiFei and Penny have been praised for warm hospitality. Central Shanghai pickup, transfers, bottled water, and your meal are included.

“Wonderful experience, delightful guides. Very friendly, pleasant and knowledgeable about food (at market & during cooking) and China in general. Food market had interesting selection, some very good, others a little much for those not Read more”

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13.Private Home Cooking Class:Dumpling Cooking Class Tour in Xi’an

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $90

Meet an English-speaking guide such as Tilla, Dodo, or Lily at your Xi’an hotel, then visit a local family home for a four-hour dumpling class. Mix dough, prepare fillings, fold jiaozi, and eat lunch with dishes such as mapo tofu, steamed fish, or stewed chicken.

“Our tour guide Tilla is very nice and kind. We have spent a splendid time with a local family. They are quite friendly. Jiao Zi is delicious! We definitely recommend this tour for everybody. Next time I plan to learn with them how to make noodles.”

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14.Beijing: Vegan Home Cooking & Local Market Tour with Sanxia

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 4 reviews · 4 hours · from $47

Join Sanxia in Beijing’s Tongzhou District for a market visit and hands-on vegan cooking class. You’ll choose seasonal ingredients, make dumplings, noodles, buns, and other Chinese dishes, then share tea and a home-cooked meal. English and Chinese sessions suit private groups of 1 to 8.

“Super friendly and was able to learn a lot about cooking as well as everyday life in Beijing.”

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