Night school serves Chinese cuisine fun to expats

Lis Tatiana (Front), from Belarus, learns to cook kung pao chicken during a cooking session at the Shekou Expats’ Night School in Nanshan District on Tuesday. Photos courtesy of Shekou MSCE

The kitchen of Somerset Wanxia Shenzhen serviced apartments bustled with energy as around 40 expat residents gathered to embark on a Chinese culinary journey organized by the Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats (Shekou MSCE) in Nanshan District on Tuesday night.

The cooking class was part of the Shekou Expats’ Night School program, which was launched last month to help expat residents better integrate into local life and gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture.

Long before the class started, a dozen expats gathered in the kitchen and watched Nicole Tao, vice director of the Shekou MSCE, as she demonstrated how to prepare ingredients for the Chinese dishes. 

Tao, alongside executive chef Ma Jialiang of the serviced apartments, acted as the chief instructor for the evening. “We usually tear the cabbage into small pieces by hand to make [stirfried cabbage],” she explained. Several expats jumped in to help with ingredient preparation by chopping tofu, tomatoes, and chicken legs, rinsing cucumbers, and whipping eggs while others observed.

Tao prepared five dishes, all recognized as quintessential Chinese cuisine, for the cooking class. She invited two expats to get hands-on experience for each dish, and the 10 spots were quickly filled.

Damien Pousse, a video game designer from France, was excited about the opportunity to make mapo tofu. “I chose the tofu dish because I thought I could manage the other four on my own,” said Pousse, who has lived in Shenzhen for two and a half years. 

A cooking enthusiast, Pousse said he learns local recipes whenever relocating to a new place. “We don’t have anything like tofu in France, so I’m eager to learn how to work with it.”

Under Tao’s guidance, Pousse and Emma Wakeham took turns stir-frying minced pork and tofu before combining them with spicy bean paste and other seasonings to create a visually appealing plate of mapo tofu. The other expats gave them thumbs-up after sampling the dish.

Emma Wakeham (1st R) of Ireland learns to make mapo tofu under the guidance of Nicole Tao (2nd R), vice director of the Shekou MSCE, as Damien Pousse of France (3rd R) and other participants look on during Tuesday night's cooking class in Nanshan.

Jola Vaugjeli, from Italy, remarked that the dish had a uniquely pleasant flavor. “This is very different from the food I’m used to, but it’s good. Diversity makes the world more interesting. I can’t wait to taste the other four dishes tonight.”

Lis Tatiana, from Belarus, brought along a big bowl of mashed potatoes she had prepared at home before coming to the class. “I think this will pair well with the kung pao chicken I plan to cook tonight,” she said.

Tatiana said the moment she saw the picture of kung pao chicken during a trip to the Shekou wet market, also organized by Shekou MSCE to gather ingredients for the cooking class that morning, she knew it was what she wanted to learn. “I love peanuts, cucumbers, and chicken, and these are all in this one dish,” she said.

Her kung pao chicken was quickly shared among the other expats, one of whom noted that the mashed potatoes added a delightful flavor to the dish.

Tatiana was among the expats who participated in the morning activity that involved walking along the Zhongxin River and biking along the coast to the Shekou market.

Alan Kirschner, a retired American lawyer, was pleasantly surprised to see blossoming bougainvillea lining both banks of the Zhongxin River, creating a vibrant atmosphere. “I’ve never seen so many bougainvillea before.”

Staunislau Kulaha, a graduate student at Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen majoring in business, expressed his enjoyment of the river walk and cycling, stating, “I love hiking and cycling.” He said he chose to study in Shenzhen because he has a strong passion for technology and innovation.

He said he looks forward to more interesting activities organized by the Shekou MSCE.