[July 28 -30] MasterChef Culinary Camp (Ages 12-16)
“Professional, thoughtful, cheerful, energetic. Well done! Cooking in The Hutong kitchen was a highlight.”
-James R, Concordia International School Shanghai
"Amazing to work with, not only because of their enthusiasm, passion and willingness to go above and beyond, but because of the genuine interest the team took in understanding our group's needs and goals.”
- Tifani S, International School of Beijing
China is a feast for the senses, especially when it comes to taste. Our 3-day culinary day camp, beginning 9:00 AM and finishing by 7:30 PM each day, walks participants step-by-step from the basics of flavor and spices to cooking full-fledged dishes and coming up with our own menus.
In our cozy courtyard kitchen, budding chefs will learn how to safely handle a Chinese cleaver as they practice time-honored cooking techniques. Participants will be side by side working together and having fun in the kitchen using their creative skills to put together unique flavors of their own design, and will also have the opportunity to ask questions and seek guidance from our in-house chefs who have years of industry experience.
Our fun, relaxed cooking camp will culminate in a “cook-off” challenge with participants planning their own dish, purchasing ingredients, and cooking up a storm!
Hands-on Cooking Lessons
Throughout the camp, students will participate in a variety of cooking lessons to learn the tricks of the trade that will help them develop their own culinary prowess all while having fun! Not only will they learn to wield the almighty cleaver and other Chinese and global cooking techniques, but also the culture and stories behind each dish and what makes each unique!
A Journey of Flavors
We’ll take participants on a culinary journey throughout China and the world. They will use traditional ingredients to create homestyle comfort foods. They will also use regional spices from Sichuan to put together a complex more menu from the humble origins of Mapo Doufu to the complex techniques of Gongbao Chicken. In the global class a new set of flavors will bring out different tastes from savory meatballs to cooling yogurt sauces to fresh salads. It will be a true Mediterranean experience!
Picnic, Games, and Mindfulness in the Park
Participants will prepare and pack their own lunches and enjoy the outdoors with fun and games in a beautiful historical park in the heart of the city. They might even get the chance to chat with some Beijing locals out for a stroll or a game of croquet or jianzi in the park! We’ll round out our time in the park with a mindfulness and meditation session to reflect and re-center ourselves.
MasterChef Cook-off
In the culminating event of our week, participants will be paired up in a team to plan for, shop for and prepare a dish or two to be served to a panel of Hutong Chefs and judges! Participants will join in the tasting and the voting process and receive feedback from each of the judges before the winners are announced and given amateur culinary glory. We’ll end in a shared feast and celebration!
Tuesday, July 28
Included: Lunch, Dinner
Morning
• Meet at The Hutong courtyard at 9:00 am
• Introduction, ice-breaker activities
• Knife skills class (Smashed Cucumber, Spicy and Sour shredded potatoes, Heisan Duo)
Afternoon
• Lunch
• Ingredients Blind Taste Test: Test your skills while blindfolded
• Sichuan Cooking Class (Gongbao Chicken, Mapo Doufu, Purple Cabbage & Tofu Skin Salad)
Evening
• Sichuan Dinner
• Wrap-up, depart Hutong courtyard by 7:30 pm
Wednesday, July 29
Morning
• Meet at The Hutong courtyard at 9:00
• International/Global Cooking class (Salata Horiatiki, Keftedes with Tsaziki Sauce, Rice Pilaf)
Afternoon
• Picnic Lunch in Ditan park
• Park and Lawn Games
• Mindfulness and Meditation workshop
• Introduce the Masterchef Competition
• Break into Teams and Plan Menus
Evening
• Beijing Dinner Story activity
• Meet back at Hutong courtyard for presentations and wrap-up, departure by 7:30 pm
Thursday, July 30
Morning
• Meet at The Hutong courtyard at 9:00
• Market visit and ingredients purchasing for Masterchef Competition
• Final planning and menu design
Afternoon
• Lunch at The Hutong
• Masterchef Competition
• Food preparation and plating time
Evening
• Final Dinner and Mocktail Party!
• Judging and Voting, wrap-up
• Depart Hutong courtyard by 7:30 pm
The Hutong is a truly global team, but we all share something in common: we are obsessed with Chinese culture and passionate about sharing it with our clients.
Meet some members of our team!
Cissy
A Beijinger, Cissy’s love for sharing her culture led her to guide groups of foreigners for years before joining The Hutong. Cissy now manages our operations team and our vendor relations.
Marissa
Marissa is from Virginia, U.S.A. She loves singing and writing music, and can often be seen with her ukulele ready to strum out some folksy tunes. She is an amazing cook and passionate educator!
Daisy
When she’s not running half-marathons or organizing adventure races across Asia, Daisy manages The Hutong’s day-to-day operations, including finance and compliance.
Femi
Femi is originally from Nigeria and has lived in China since 2009. He is passionate about improv, photography, and music. He enjoys creating and running interactive experiences for groups.
DATES:
July 28 - 30 (Tuesday to Thursday)
AGE GROUP:
12 - 16
DIFFICULTY:
Easy – no prior cooking experience required!
PRICE* :
2,884 RMB per participant
*Price includes 3% Yoopay processing fee.
REGISTRATION LINK
https://yoopay.cn/vevent/30960133
REGISTRATION DUE DATE:
June 21, 2020
Scan the QR code to register.
→
Price Coverage
• Hutong chef instructors
• All meals (as indicated in itinerary), snacks, and drinking water
• All activity and entrance fees
• Basic travel liability insurance
Registration & Payment
It’s easy - simply scan the QR code above to sign up and submit payment over the YooPay system. YooPay accepts UnionPay, WeChat, and Alipay. If you require a different form of payment let us know by email at education@thehutong.com. Please note there is a 3% non-refundable booking fee that YooPay charges for its services. Following registration and payment, you will receive a confirmation email from us – and you’ll be ready to go!
Cancellation Policy
We request full payment to secure the booking, with free cancellation up to 7 days prior to the trip start date. For cancellation within 7 days we request a 50% cancellation fee to help defer our booking costs. Unfortunately we are unable to offer a refund for cancellations within 72 hours. Any Refund will exclude YooPay transaction fees.
What if local policies or government regulations change prior to the trip and it needs to be canceled?
We are keeping a close eye on how the evolving situation with COVID-19 is impacting local government regulations with travel and accommodation. Should our trip need to be cancelled due to changing restrictions, we will offer a full refund to all participants (less a 3% refund fee incurred by YooPay). We will keep parents and participants updated on the situation in the lead-up to the trip.
Health & Safety
How are you managing the potential risk with COVID-19?
We are taking a two-pronged approach to mitigating the risk posed by COVID-19. First, and most importantly, we are implementing a thorough pre-camp screening policy, to verify that all attending participants, staff and local partners are not considered at risk of having contracted COVID-19. As a part of this, all participants will be required to fill out a health waiver, which will be sent in advance of the trip, along with additional supporting documentation. Second, while on program, we are instituting a number of hygiene, activity facilitation and training measures aimed at limiting any chance of contagion. To request a more detailed policy, please get in touch with us at education@thehutong.com and we would be happy to provide more information.
What is your health and safety policy?
We are continuously communicating, updating and assessing our risk management procedures in order to provide an exceptional and adventurous experience in a safe environment. We also take a dynamic approach to safety and are continuously analyzing and evaluating our protocols to keep pace with the industry’s highest standards. All of our guides have First Aid training, in many cases Wilderness Advanced First Aid certification, and will have undergone numerous internal trainings.
Do you provide travel medical insurance?
As a licensed travel operator, we provide standard liability insurance as required by Chinese law. As this insurance is quite basic, we require all trip participants to have their own medical insurance should an emergency situation arise.
The Hutong creates unforgettable travel experiences throughout China for students (and adults!) from international schools around the world. Since 2009, we have been running educational programs to off-the-beaten-track destinations across China: from the rainforests of southern Yunnan to the grasslands of the Mongolian steppe, all of our programs are meticulously researched and planned to optimize student learning and to offer fun, innovative, and immersive experiences.
As well as being a licensed travel operator across Greater China, The Hutong is at heart a transformative education company. We partner with leading schools to build programs that incorporate learning objectives and life skills, all the while maintaining absolute professionalism, and an impeccable safety record. From our team of international educators to our travel specialists, each and every Hutonger shares a passion for providing exceptional learning experiences.
Visit us online: https://education.thehutong.com
Forever Learning - We integrate China into your curriculum in ways that are thought-provoking and inspiring.
Responsible & Safe - We are long-established China-based professionals with exemplary safety standards.
China Insiders - Our fun-loving global team are long-term China residents, with many former educators among us.
Don’t just take our word for it
We have been running innovative, custom crafted educational tours since 2009 with responsible professionalism, and while maintaining an exemplary safety record. We encourage all new partners to contact references for an objective perspective on their experiences with The Hutong. We partner with leading international schools across China (and beyond!), including:
Reach out to us at education@thehutong.com to plan a private group program.
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