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!
LAtest
A Little Book News
It’s finally happening — after nearly 10 years of blogging, I’m working on a physical cookbook. Three Meals, Four Seasons brings together some of my most-loved dishes, along with brand new recipes created just for the book. It will be published in December 2026 by Quadrille.
I’m sharing behind-the-scenes updates with my newsletter readers, and I’ll announce pre-order details there first. Subscribe if you’d like to join the community.
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!
What to find here
- 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
“Your insight is invaluable! I have gone through each and every one of your recipes, and just adore your approach and technique.”
Jessica said:
“I’m so glad I found you! Your recipes are detailed, informative, and not overwhelming.”
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.
*Image: My kitchen doubles as the Red House Spice HQ
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.
*Image: A dinner prepared by my parents
They allowed me to play in our tiny kitchen, let me savor the first bite, asked for my opinion, and included me in activities like pleating dumplings, hand-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.
My blogging journey
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.
*Image: A visit to a culinary school specializing in hand-pulled noodles in Lanzhou, China
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.
*Image: I hosted a fund-raising supper club at ESEA Community Centre in London
For example, in an interview with Tasting Table, I shared my thoughts on making dumpling dough: “If you keep it simple, it’s better. If you think too much, you might get into trouble.”
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.
*Image: I organized a dumpling class for a GirlGuiding group
Over the years, Red House Spice has blossomed into something truly remarkable: a hub where I’ve connected with like-minded individuals from all corners of the globe.
I’m deeply grateful for the wonderful community that has formed around my blog. Your encouragement and enthusiasm continue to fuel my passion and bring boundless inspiration.
Wei’s Tips
How to use this blog
- Follow the recipe carefully when trying a dish for the 1st time. Then modify and twist as you wish.
- Visit my recipe archive for more inspirations.
- Click the magnifying glass at the top right to search for a particular dish.
- 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.
- Subscribe to my free weekly recipe newsletter, which includes an email cooking course to get you started.
FAQs
My post on 10 Essential Chinese Condiments will help you to achieve that.
Try these three: Tomato and Egg Stir-fry, Smashed Cucumber, and Ginger Chicken
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
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, leave a message in the comment section below.
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:
Profile photo by Jenny Danilenko
I cannot tell you how happy I am to have found your blog and I’m excited to start trying some recipes. We love all Asian and Asian-inspired foods, especially when we can cook them at home. I’m from the US but China is now our neighbor and I’m hoping to make a food tour one day! Thank you for sharing your recipes with the world!
Thank you, Sara, for visiting my blog! It’s my great pleasure to share recipes that I love making for my family. Hope you’ll have a fun time cooking Chinese food.
Hi! Are you aware that someone on Facebook is using your photos?
Thank you so much Gee for bringing this to my attention. I’m aware of the situation, as quite a few kind-hearted readers like yourself have alerted me. I’ve been making copyright infringement reports to the Facebook team. Unfortunately, the nature of digital content means that completely preventing unauthorized use is challenging. Nevertheless, I’m confident in people’s ability to recognize the real, tried-and-true recipes.
Hi Ms. Guo,
Thank you for the very easy to follow instructions for all the dishes I dream of cooking for my family. The tips you wrote is super useful. I realised as long as I follow the measurements, timings and steps the dishes I cooked is always praised or at least eyebrows raised (while mouth is full).
I just completed a very simple 葱油饼 which, honestly, I’ve tried to make a couple of times without success. Today, I got all the stated ingredients and follow your latest updated steps. My husband has approved the texture, taste and even my effort (which is rare). So thank you very much! I will continue to try other recipes and please continue to update as you uncover more delicious recipes.
I’m so happy to read your message, Nini! Your husband is indeed lucky to have someone like you, constantly honing your cooking skills for the family.”
This is hands down the best Chinese cuisine recipe site I’ve found in almost 20 years of attempting to cook Chinese food. Thank you, Wei Guo, for these great recipes, five of which were served at my table in Dublin tonight on Chinese New Year’s Eve!
Richard.
Happy Chinese New Year Richard! So wonderful to read your kind comment on this special day. I hope you’ll find more inspiration on my blog.
Hello
I love the salt and pepper squid and shrimp
My other favourite I’d ginger beef and ginger squid. any recipe suggestions?
I am also looking for a crispy rice and vegetables recipe where you pour the broth over the rice and it sizzles! any suggestions?
Thanks
E
Hi Erin! I haven’t shared the recipes you mentioned above. I think the rice dish you described is called sizzling rice soup. You should be able to find these recipes elsewhere online. Good luck!
Thank you for this information! I am dating a woman from Taiwan, she has been in the US for several years, but sometimes misses her country. She is excited about Chinese New Year next week, and I am wanting to give her a surprise, so I’m going to try to make her Ba Bao Fan – and am going to use your Hong Dou Sha recipe (I have never made it from scratch before).
我感谢您为网站所做的努力。
Good luck Robert and wish you a wonderful New Year celebration with delicious home-cooked food (I’m sure your lady will be impressed!)
I adapted Wei Guo’s glass noodle and Napa Cabbage recipe, but added julienned carrots and oyster mushrooms. It was a hit with my family and I look forward to trying more Red House Spice recipes.
I see that We Guo is from Lanzhou! I have fond memories of Lanzhou as a wonderful food town. After returning by bus from Tibet in June 1987, the Lanzhou street market was filled with temptations ranging from herbal lamb kebabs, fresh yogurts in ceramic pots (I paid extra so I could keep the pots) and best of all beautiful white peaches dripping with juice.
Best,
Thorina Rose
So lovely to hear from you Thorina. You description of Lanzhou specialties are spot on! Your words made me homesick.
Hope you’ll find more inspiration on my blog!
Hi there, I am so happy I found you! I tried the Kung Pao chicken today, and followed your recipe exactly, however it turned out sooooo spicy I could not taste anything else. I love spice, but this was overdone. What ingredient should I reduce? I am new to Chinese cooking and would love your feedback.
Thank you Joanna for trying out my recipe! In Kung Pao Chicken, the hotness comes from the dried chilies. It sounds like the ones you used had a high heat level. You can try either reducing their quantity or using another type of dried chilies that taste milder.
Thank you – I tried with less, and it was perfect. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes. All the best. Joanna
Thanks for you blog and recipes, as a lover of food I love asian an chinese food as well, I tried some of your recipes here and can say the ones I attempted came to be successfull, so I thank you very much for that. I work as a cook in Spain, as I am spanish myself. Always think of travelling to China for a real Chinese food experience, how would be the best way to do that? Could the fact of not speaking Chinese make my travel difficult to enjoy? I’d like your advice, thanks Wei!
Wonderful to know you plan to visit China to experience authentic food! You can certainly do it without speaking Chinese (but knowing some basic phrases would be nice). You can use translation apps for communication and consider joining English-speaking food tours in major cities. Many restaurants have picture menus which help a lot. Doing plenty of online research and planning ahead of time is important.
I hope you’ll enjoy your culinary adventure, Jaime!
Can you recommend an online source for all the ingredients I won’t find in my local market. Thank you!
It depends on where you live in the world. I know a few available in England.