Hello & Welcome! I’m Wei Guo, the do-it-all creator behind the blog Red House Spice, a free digital cookbook sharing authentic, accessible Chinese recipes since 2017. I couldn’t be happier to have you here!
I firmly believe that —
Anyone can cook delicious Chinese food at home!
Are you someone who —
- Has experienced Chinese food while traveling, working, or studying in China
- Enjoys dishes from local Chinese restaurants or takeout
- Grew up eating Chinese food cooked by loved ones
- Has Chinese friends/relatives and often eat their homemade dishes
- Holds a curiosity for cuisines from around the world
- Looks for new ways to cook their favorite ingredients
If you’re nodding at one of those descriptions, you’ve come to the right place to learn!
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Top 25 Recipes eBook
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My background
I was born and raised in Gansu/甘肃 province, China, where noodles, dumplings, and bao (all accompanied by a dash of chili oil) hold a special place in the hearts and meals of families.
Currently, I live in England, in a 100-year-old red brick house that inspired the name of the blog Red House Spice. Here, I spend my days with my husband and our two bundles of joy (aka the official RHS taste testers).
Having a professional background in journalism, I gained my recipe-development skills through countless made-from-scratch meals prepared for my family and friends over the years.
My food story
I don’t have a “learned cooking from my mama/grandma when I was young” type of story. But my parents, who are both fantastic home cooks, always involved me around food. They allowed me to play in our tiny kitchen, let me savor the first bite, asked for my opinion on the taste, and encouraged me to participate in fun cooking activities like pleating dumplings, pulling noodles, wrapping Zongzi, and more.
While working as a journalist in Beijing, I didn’t cook much but I was a keen restaurant hunter. I spent most of my spare time tasting new dishes in the capital city where all Chinese regional cuisines meet (with Sichuan cuisine holding a special place in my heart).
Drawing from the immersive experiences in my childhood kitchen and countless dining adventures, I quickly developed a natural flair for cooking since I started living abroad where good Chinese food is hard to find.
About the blog
After taking a career break and spending a decade enthusiastically cooking at home, I found myself yearning to work in the food industry. Yet, I was unsure of the path that would lead me to fulfill this dream. Then a spontaneous idea struck me: Why not start a food blog?
Thus Red House Spice was born, becoming a platform where I could document the recipes that I had been cooking while embarking on a journey of learning new ones.
My sole and unwavering focus was on Chinese Cuisine right from the start, even though I enjoy cooking all types of food and I have a fondness for baking.
Why? Firstly, it’s the cuisine where my expertise truly shines. Secondly, I’m deeply passionate about demystifying the misconception that Chinese cooking is overly complicated because, truth be told, it’s surprisingly approachable and delightful to explore.
For example, in an interview with Tasting Table, I shared my thoughts on making dumpling dough. I explained, “If you keep it simple, it’s better. If you think too much, you might get into trouble.”
Testimonial
“Your insight is invaluable! I have gone through each and every one of your recipes, and just adore your approach and technique.” — Anna
“I’m so glad I found you! Your recipes are detailed, informative, and not overwhelming.” — Jessica
While the majority of my recipes center on classic and traditional Chinese dishes deeply rooted in Chinese culinary culture, like the beloved Red-Braised Pork Belly, I also feature recipes developed by Chinese chefs living outside China, including the iconic Fortune Cookies. In an interview with SAVEUR, I expressed my belief in celebrating American Chinese food as a unique regional cuisine deserving recognition.
Over the years, Red House Spice has blossomed into something truly remarkable. It has become a hub where I’ve connected with like-minded individuals from all corners of the globe. Their appreciation and support have fueled my passion and brought boundless inspiration. I’m deeply grateful for the wonderful community that has formed around my blog.
What to find at Red House Spice
- Delicious Chinese dishes made for modern home cooking
- Simplified cooking methods for classic recipes without sacrificing flavor
- Recipes with precise measurements instead of “some of this”, “a little of that”
- Introduction to special condiments and their substitutes
- Tutorial videos and process shots to guide you through each step
- Recipe reviews for learning from fellow home cooks and asking me questions
RHS has been featured in
How to use this blog
- Follow the recipe carefully when trying a dish for the 1st time. Then modify and twist as you wish.
- Click the magnifying glass at the top right to search for a particular dish.
- Visit my recipe archive for more inspirations.
- Press the “PRINT” button (located above the ingredient list in the recipe card) to produce your own hard-copy cookbook.
- Bookmark recipes by tapping the heart icon on the pages. For a better experience, create an account to synchronize all your favorite recipes across all your devices.
- Don’t forget to subscribe to my free weekly recipe newsletter, which includes an email cooking course to get you started.
Other fun facts
I’m obsessed with spicy food, hence “Spice” in the blog name. You can find plenty of hot recipes like Bang Bang Chicken, Chili Oil Wonton, and Dan Dan Noodles.
I’m a free-spirited cook who eyeballs ingredient quantities and loves to experiment with flavors. But when it comes to those “no-room-for-error” occasions, I follow my own recipes to the letter, like with my foolproof Peking Duck.
It frustrates me when people say things like “Tofu is boring” or “Tofu is only for vegan dieters”, etc. I like being a “tofu defender” by sharing mouthwatering recipes like Authentic Mapo Tofu, Scallion Silken Tofu, and many more!
My two bundles of joy help my blogs in different ways. My son is a born gourmet who can detect the subtlest taste changes so I always treasure his opinion (BTW, he started his spicy food journey at 6 with a bowl of Sichuan Cold Noodles). While my daughter loves cooking with me. You can spot her cute little hands rolling Dumpling Wrappers in my tutorial video.
I’m particular about the vessels that hold my food. So I dream of hand-making all the ceramic props for my food photography. You can take a peek at my pottery journey @clay.by.wei.
FAQs
A: My post on 10 Essential Chinese Condiments will help you to achieve that.
A: Try these three: Tomato and Egg Stir-fry, Smashed Cucumber, and Ginger Chicken
A: There are so many! If I have to pick the top 5, they are:
Biang Biang Noodles
Pork & Cabbage Dumplings
Steamed Eggs
Hot & Sour Napa Cabbage
One-Pot Hainanese Chicken Rice
A: I invite you to subscribe to my free weekly recipe newsletter. As a subscriber, you’ll have direct access to me and can ask questions, suggest recipes, etc. Alternatively, use the contact form to leave a message.
A: In the past, I’ve done a few private cooking classes, a fund-raising supper club, and several Culinary Tours of China. However, at the moment I’m solely focusing on creating great content for this blog to satisfy the needs of the rapidly growing reader community. If I ever decide to jump into offline events again, I’ll make sure to spread the news through my newsletter and social channels (Instagram, Facebook).
Where to go next?
Thank you for taking the time to learn about me and my blog! Now, would you like to explore some recipes? Here are a few of the most popular categories:
Hi, I’ve been following you for a while (Ie subscriber to your newsletter), but just today actually tried one of your recipes. It was easy to follow, well written, approachable & DELICIOUS. As a writer myself (I hesitate to classify myself as a journalist as I’ve ventured many miles/kilometers from that path in my years), I really appreciate your journey to combine your talents & your passion. I’m a 56 yo Anglo/German Texas rancher living in a rural area outside a small town in south Texas, USA, but I feel like you are a kindred spirit! Keep up the good work; I love love love your website & recipes😎🤠❤️
What a beautiful message. Thank you so much Stephanie for your kind words! It truly means a lot to hear that the recipe resonated with you, and I’m honored to be a small part of your kitchen. Your message made my day! Thank you for taking the time to share this, and I’m so glad to have a kindred spirit following along!
I feel so lucky to have found your sight. I going to make the recipe tomorrow for my “girls weekly meeting”. I’m sure they will all be anxiously awaiting me to give them your blog. They are all avid cooks.
Thank you so much! That means a lot to me. I hope you and your girls love the recipe – can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Wei,
Thank you very much for giving us Chinese food lovers authentic, tasty and thoughtfully done recipes. I especially like the Szechuan style and they are by far the best I’ve ever made! Keep up the amazing work.
Greg in Vermont, US
Thank you so much for your kind words, Greg. I’m really glad you’re enjoying the Sichuan recipes – I’ll definitely keep sharing more!
Hi Wei,
My latest email (I am a subscriber) – you asked ”
Does the change of weather affect your meal planning? My answer is a big YES!”
A YES from me also, BUT, I live in the southern hemisphere as do many of your subscibers – I would imagine, (Ipswich, Queensland, Australia for me).
Your Spring is our Autumn or Fall Season and I realise you can’t put both in your email BUT could you have a link to where your Fall rcipes can be found ??
I searched for Fall Menu, Fall Recipes, Seasonal, and a few others but there was no where I could find the dishes as the weather turns cooler towards Winter.
Maybe, it is my bad that I couldn’t find them or maybe you have not already grouped recipes into the cooler days rather than for cold days, ie Winter.
Maybe a foot note on seasonal email posts could be:
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE SUBSCRIBERS may check out this link ….
giving a link to your website where a different season could be accessed.
This would only be required each time you post for an upcomming seasonal change.
Love your work …
Regards,
Robert
Thanks so much for your thoughtful feedback, Robert! For cooler weather recipes, I actually have a recipe collection for chilly days that might be just what you’re looking for. I appreciate your suggestions and I’ll definitely keep that in mind for future newsletters.
Hi, i love chinese food especially freshly made noodles. Thank you for sharing your noodles recipes
My pleasure to share! Yes, homemade noodles are unbeatable!
Thank you for sharing your recipes. Ingredients are simple and cooking instructions are simple.
You’re very welcome, Mercy! I’m so glad you’re finding the recipes and instructions easy to follow—happy cooking!
Thank you WeiGo for your willingness to share your expertise with the world. The one thing that i would say that intimidates me about chinese cooking is the rapid speed of assembly of the various dishes. I know, I know, it will take time, patience and constant practice. But as the saying goes, ‘Practice makes perfect’.
I especially liked your points you mentioned in your blog as to what can be expected
that will eventually assist me in gettiing proficient-simplify methods, make precise measurements, substitute when necessary, view the tutorials, and learn from others. You also mentioned something about pottery. While I applaud your talent and do know the energy required to get where your at now I could not help but make a comparison with our ability to make our lives even better.
If we consider what, in life, is the best thing we have going for ourselves I would have to say that it would be our own lives. This means much more than our skills. It we take into consideration our own spiritual needs just as Jesus stated in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3) and we fill that need we will find happiness not just for a short while but everlastingly according to John 17:3.
As I said earlier you mentioned pottery. Who is the Great Potter? None other than Jehovah God, our maker. He has the absolute right to direct our own steps, how to form the pottery vessel especially for a good use.
So, as you can see I encourage you to share your skillset but also make time to build up your knowledge of our Creator so that he can indeed mold us to be the type of person we need to be to glorify Him. After all did he not give us the talent to do what we do? Let’s not just pay him lip service but let us unitedly do our very best to glorify our Creator. Draw close to God and he will draw close to us. Please check out the website Now, where was I ? Oh, looking forward to attempting to follow one of your receipes. Thanks again.
Thank you for your kind message! I’m really glad the tips have been helpful, and you’re absolutely right—practice and patience go a long way in mastering Chinese cooking. I hope you enjoy trying out the recipes!
Hello Wei,
The area that you are from looks absolutely beautiful. I clicked on the Google link.
You have inspired me no end! I have most of the ingredients needed for your recipes but cannot wait to visit Chinatown in Manchester. I may buy things that I don’t understand. I hope you’ll be there to help.
Paul:-)
That’s wonderful to hear, Paul! Enjoy your trip to Chinatown—there’s so much to explore. Feel free to ask if you need any help!