Cooking my way into the kitchen

One of the coolest things about Zhejiang University is the kitchen downstairs in the dorms, called “Bizhiju.” Students can book it for free, bring their own seasonings and disposable utensils, and cook up a warm meal using the shared kitchen equipment. But since I had never really cooked at home and didn’t know how to cook at all, I didn’t even consider using it during my first two years at school. The few times I did go, it was just to eat meals my friends had made. However, in the first semester of my junior year, I decided it was time for a change. So, I finally stepped into Bizhiju—not as a hungry student, but as the chef.

I kicked things off with something super popular in winter: candied hawthorn skewers. Since I didn’t have many tools, I took a shortcut and used a microwave and paper cups to make the syrup. I heated it until it turned golden and bubbly, then dipped some sweet-and-sour fruit into the syrup, quickly dunked it in cold water, and voilà—crispy candied fruit! It looked easy in the tutorial, but wow, it wasn’t. If the syrup isn’t heated to the right stage, it gets too sticky and loses its crunch. The fruit also has to be completely dry, or the sugar won’t stick. And since the syrup cools quickly once exposed to air, you can’t make too many skewers at once. On top of that, reheating the syrup too many times can burn it. After a few clumsy attempts and some burnt fingers, I ended up with only nine blueberry skewers.

Next, I tried making sweet-and-sour ribs. First, I marinated the meat in a special seasoning, then coated it in starch, deep-fried it, and tossed it in sweet-and-sour sauce until it became glossy and sticky. For my first real dish, it was definitely a bit challenging. I didn’t mix the starch with water before coating, so it was too thick and fell apart in the oil, leaving the ribs less crispy than they should have been. I also forgot to add ketchup, so the color wasn’t quite right. But despite all the mistakes, it actually tasted pretty good!

Cooking for the first time completely changed how I think about it. Even though I’m still a beginner, I’m convinced that after two more years of practice at Bizhiju, I’ll become a pretty great chef. Fingers crossed!