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:
Thank you very much for all your recipes. As a single who loves cooking, the recipes have helped me to enhance my enjoyment of meals by cooking different dishes. Please keep up the excellent endeavours
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m delighted to hear the recipes have added to your enjoyment of cooking and meals. Your support means a lot, and I’ll definitely keep sharing more dishes for you to try. Happy cooking!
Hi Wei, this is my Go To site for Asian recipes. Love your style of cooking.
My only disappointment is the inability to copy the videos. I learn so much by watching your cooking techniques.
Thank you so much for the kind words, David! I’m thrilled you enjoy the recipes and find the techniques helpful. I truly appreciate your support!
Growing up in Malaysia and near Singapore, I have been fortunate to have sampled a variety of cuisine. Lived in the U.S. since 18. As I got older, I began craving authentic Chinese, Indian and Malaysian fare. I learned how to cook Indian dishes from my mom but I was never able to find recipes for Chinese (hawker style) food. Most Chinese fare is ‘Americanized’. I tried your Hainanese Chicken recipe. I had never been so thrilled!! Got a thumbs up from my sister which is a huge deal. Chinese cuisine had always been a mystery to me but you have made it available with such transparency. I am now a happy old woman content with being able to relive and experience my childhood palate. ❤️. God bless you!
It’s so heartwarming to read your feedback, Molly. I’m delighted you enjoyed my Hainanese Chicken Rice recipe. Hope you’ll find more inspiration on my blog.
Would love your recipe for home made fish balls.
Thank you
The meals looks easy to cook and with simple ingredients
Hope you’ll enjoy cooking them, Mary!
Wei,
I thought you might want to know that your picture, on the right side of the window, has a bad command somewhere because it is stretched out vertically. You might not be able to see it on your computer because your computer was the one that created/set the dimensions of the picture. But, it is stretched and thought you might want to know so you could get it fixed. Love what you are doing and how you do it. Keep up the great work!!!!! Your fan!!!!
Thank you so much for letting me know! I’ll pass this along to my tech helper to check out and get it fixed. I really appreciate your keen eye and kind words—it means a lot. Thanks for being such a supportive fan!
The last email that I received had a chicken dish that called for sha cha sauce. Is there a substitute for this?
Is this a very spicy sauce? Is it like sriracha? The small Asian where I shop was not familiar with it.
Hi Pat! Sha Cha sauce isn’t spicy and isn’t similar to sriracha. If you can’t find it in your local Asian market, feel free to try other chicken recipes on my blog, like Black Pepper Chicken, Chicken Chop Suey, Kung Pao Chicken, or Ginger Chicken.
Hello Wei.. I very much enjoy your site and your recipes.. Is there a reason you do not have a recipe for Lo meIn. It’s one of my favorites and I’d like to try your recipe if you have one.
Thank you Dave for your appreciation! I’ll add Lo Mein recipe to my to-write list.
One of the very best websites in the west for true Chinese cuisine. I keep on coming back and I love it!
Thank you so much for your appreciation, Eric! Hope you’ll find more inspiration on my blog.
Hi Wei,
I love your recipes and have cooked lots and lots of them. Really look forward to your newsletters to inspire me to get back to the local asian market and try something new. Just reading your 20 summer recipes. So many things to try. Lots cookbooks these days include themed “feasts” or meal plans for 4 (or more) that recommend dishes, sides and drinks to serve that will work well together and will wow your guests. Have you thought about doing something similar? I would love that.
Thank you for all the recipes and your great website.
Mark
Thank you so much Mark for your appreciation and support. Meal planning is a great idea. I’ll definitely give it a thought.
I am so grateful to you for your blog. I am a born American that loves Chinese food but really wants to make my own at home. I have found your recipes to be the best. Precise recipes are so important and your tips are fabulous. I was wondering what your ideas are on woks for electric stoves as opposed to nonstick cookware thank you
Thank you for your kind words Catherine! From my personal experience, while woks can be used on electric stoves, they often don’t perform as well as on gas stoves. Additionally, it takes more effort to season a carbon steel wok on electric burners. In this case, nonstick woks or pans might actually be a better option. If you’re set on using a traditional wok, consider a flat-bottomed one and control the heat level by periodically removing it from the heat source when necessary. Check out my Complete Guide To Wok if you haven’t read it