Mezza giornata Chengdu Handmade Tofu Making e Mapo Tofu Cooking Class

I had a great time at the tofu making workshop. I’m a nutrition scientist and worked as a chef for quiet some time so normally cooking classes are fun but also a bit boring for me. Our guide Helena tho really got into the depth of making tofu explaining it on a scientific level as well, still easy for everyone to understand. The guide as well as the chef who taught us how to make the tofu and cook some dishes were both super lovely as well, just great hospitality in general. In the end we also got some recipes and goodies to make tofu at home and I will for sure try it out! They also asked for dietary restrictions and allergies beforehand wich I find great!

My husband and I took this class together and had a wonderful time. The market tour was informative and fun. I look forward to using all of the ingredients that I brought home. The Sichuan peppercorns that you can buy there are in another league! Lance was very helpful in telling me where to buy things. As for the class itself, it was great. I already knew how to make the dish but had never made tofu before. It was really a lovely experience to make it. The Mapo Tofu recipe was absolutely scrumptious and I’ll be cooking it often. I would definitely take more classes from them in the future if I have the good fortune to go back to China.

The tour was so informative and fun and food we got to make after was delicious! Lance was an amazing tour guide!

Our Tofu Making experience (and cooking class) with Lance was just an amazing afternoon. First we wandered around Honghua Market and discussed the fruit, veg and meat on sale, then after a short tea break - eating some of the produce we'd just bought - we started the main attraction. Making tofu from scratch, then cooking three dishes, including my favorite meal ever - Mapo Tofu, also from scratch. The entire 5+ hours felt like spending time with a trusted friend. We learned so much, and not just about making Tofu, but China, language, food (Lance is incredibly knowledgable, informed and great fun to spend timme with). There is nothing I would have changed about this experience. The kitchen time was fabulous, the company perfect and the tofu, dishes and follow up amazing. Don't miss this in Chengdu.

Enjoyed touring the fresh food market with Lance, who shared his knowledge about all the various fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, spices and TCM. Afterwards we went to the workshop to experience the proper way to enjoy tea and eat the delicious seasonal longan fruits from the fresh food market. The highlight of the day was learning how to make soymilk and fresh tofu from scratch from Mrs. Li. Her cooking class for making authentic mapo tofu was truly enjoyable. She also kindly prepared two bonus recipes of stir fried pork with celery and peppers and stir fried shredded potatoes that were very tasty. I look forward to making all her delicious dishes when I get back to the USA. I highly recommend the tofu making and mapo tofu cooking class if you want to have a truly enjoyable and unforgettable experience in Chengdu!

My second course with ChilliCool. As usual it was fun with warm and welcoming atmosphere and very well organized. It was super interesting to experience and compare old traditional method with the modern approach of making Tofu and soy milk. I appreciated the quality of the ingredients (regional soy beans, non-GMO and untreated. Also I was happy to learn about additional techniques, such as how to make your own brine for tofu production.

Spent a day with Lance and Jerry - and it was awesome. I was only going to do the morning (3 dishes incl. Mapo Tofu - which was great) , but had so much fun I tapped into the afternoon class too (BaoZi - Steamed Pork Buns). So they even threw in some Mahjong lessons too in between. They are seriously relaxed and fun guys to be with, great English, great at sharing local knowledge and culture (the markets etc.) and Jerry is great to work with in the kitchen - keeps it relaxed, fun, but useful and productive too (but always patient...). They've set up a great operation - totally recommend it 100% whether you're a novice or a skilled foodie these guys can make a great experience for you. I had never done a cooking class before despite travelling a lot.... so glad I decided i finally would since I had a free day - it really was awesome!