Shanghai Cooking Classes: Learn to Cook Chinese Food

Cooking classes offer a delicious way to understand Shanghai's food culture. Here is a local's guide to the best culinary experiences.

Popular Classes

Dumpling Making

Learn to make xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) and jiaozi from scratch - from dough to filling to the perfect fold.

Local's Take: Making xiaolongbao is harder than it looks. The aspic (gelatinized broth) that melts into soup inside the dumpling is the secret. A good instructor will teach you this technique, and the satisfaction of eating dumplings you made yourself is unbeatable.

Market Tour + Cooking

Visit a local wet market with your instructor, learn about Chinese ingredients, then cook what you bought.

Local's Take: The market tour is often the best part. Walking through a wet market with someone who can explain what everything is - the vegetables you have never seen, the spices, the fresh tofu, the live seafood - transforms how you see Chinese food. This is cultural education disguised as a cooking class.

Top Cooking Schools

Cook in Shanghai

Professional classes in English with market tours included. Well-established and reliable.

The Kitchen Society

Boutique classes in the French Concession with small groups and personalized attention.

What You Will Learn

Techniques

• Wok handling (the toss, the temperature control)
• Knife skills (Chinese cleaver techniques)
• Dumpling folding (there are dozens of styles)
• Sauce balancing (sweet, sour, salty, spicy, umami)

Classic Dishes

• Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings)
• Kung Pao Chicken
• Mapo Tofu
• Yangzhou Fried Rice
• Hand-pulled noodles

Class Formats

Group Classes

• 4-12 people, social atmosphere
• 200-400 RMB per person
• 2-4 hours

Private Classes

• One-on-one instruction
• 500-1000 RMB
• Customized menu based on your preferences

Booking Tips

• Book at least a few days in advance
• Inform the school of any dietary restrictions or allergies
• Wear comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes
• Come hungry - you will eat what you cook
• Bring a notebook for recipes and tips

Cooking classes create lasting memories and skills you will use for the rest of your life. Every time you make dumplings at home, you will think of Shanghai.