On Friday 29th September girls studying GCSE Food at Didcot Girls' School were very fortunate to be visited by celebrity chef Ching-He Huang.  As part of the new GCSE in Food Preparation and Nutrition, students need to be able to identify different cultures and their cooking methods and traditions, so what better way to learn about that than by hearing from an expert! 

Ching talked about her life, where she grew up and how she got involved in cooking. She explained that her father couldn't cook, so at the age of 11 she began cooking for the family and grew to love the dishes and flavours of her native country. We learnt about how different classes of people hold their chopsticks and why the wok is such a vital piece of equipment in Chinese cuisine because of its versatility.  

 

Ching followed her talk with a cookery demonstration making the "Pineapple Chicken" recipe from her new book "Stir Crazy". Students learned about all the essential ingredients in Chinese cuisine, and Ching explained the importance of each one. Best of all, at the end, we could all taste her dish. It was so good; the wok was quickly emptied! Finally, Ching spent time signing copies of her new book 'Stir Crazy' which may well appear under a number of Christmas trees this year!

 

Mrs Jones, Food teacher at Didcot Girls' School who organised the visit said: 'Our students really enjoyed having Ching join their class and said she had inspired them to try new dishes and ingredients. Ching was so enthusiastic and friendly, spending time at the end of the lesson signing copies of her book and taking selfies with everyone. The visit took a long time to plan but was so worth it!'

 

Mrs Warwick, Executive Headteacher, said: 'I am so pleased that our students have the opportunity to enjoy the experience of preparing and cooking food with professional chefs like Ching He-Huang. 

Mrs Jones has created the most wonderful opportunities for our students with visits to local organic farms to find out more about where our food comes from, as well as masterclasses with celebrities such as Ching He-Huang and Christine Wallace from the 'Great British Bake Off' who judged our own bake off competition. I am very grateful to Mrs Jones and I know our students are too!'