Red cooking facts for kids

Red-cooked pork belly served with a rich sauce

Red cooking is a special way of cooking from China. It's also called red stewing or red braising. This cooking method uses slow heat to make food turn a reddish-brown color. It also gives the food a deep, rich flavor.

There are two main kinds of red cooking:

• Hongshao (traditional Chinese: 紅燒; simplified Chinese: 红烧; pinyin: hóngshāo): This type is quicker. It can be done in less than 20 minutes. It doesn't need a lot of water to cook.
• Lu (traditional Chinese: 滷; simplified Chinese: 卤; pinyin: lǔ): This type takes much longer. It can cook for several hours. The food must be fully covered in the cooking liquid.

Red cooking is very popular in many parts of China. You can find it in northern, eastern, and southeastern areas. The name "red cooking" comes from the dark red-brown color of the finished food and its sauce.

What Makes Red Cooking Special?

Red-cooked ribs, a popular dish

A tasty ham hock prepared with red cooking

The reddish-brown color and flavor come from special ingredients. These often include soy sauce (both light and dark kinds). Other key ingredients are fermented bean paste, red fermented tofu, or rock sugar. Sometimes, food coloring is added to make the red color even brighter.

Both lu and hongshao are types of braising. This means food is cooked slowly in a liquid. The main liquids used are soy sauce, Chinese rice wine (like Shaoxing wine), and rock sugar.

Important Spices

Spices are very important in red cooking. They add a lot of flavor. Common whole spices include star anise, black cardamom, cassia (which is like cinnamon), and fennel seeds. Sometimes, a mix called five-spice powder is used. Chefs use these spices carefully. They don't want the spice flavors to be too strong. The main ingredients should still be the star of the dish.

What Foods Are Red-Cooked?

Red-cooked dishes often have a lot of meat. They can also include different meats, vegetables, and hard-boiled eggs. These dishes can be served hot or cold. The rich sauce or broth from red cooking is often saved. It can be used again to cook more food. This reused sauce is called a "master stock." It gets more flavorful each time it's used!

See also

In Spanish: Cocción roja para niños