19 Groceries You’re Buying That The Chinese Make For Pennies At Home

Are you spending money on grocery-store staples that can be surprisingly simple and inexpensive to prepare at home? In this video, we explore 19 foods and kitchen staples commonly made from scratch in Chinese cooking that many shoppers elsewhere routinely buy prepackaged. From sauces and condiments to noodles, dumplings, pickled vegetables, and other everyday favorites, homemade versions can sometimes cost considerably less. We’ll look at the basic ingredients, traditional techniques, and clever kitchen habits that can turn inexpensive staples into delicious homemade food. Some take only a few ingredients. Others can be prepared in large batches and stored for later — potentially saving money while giving you more control over what goes into your food. How many of these 19 groceries are sitting in YOUR kitchen right now? Watch until the end and tell us in the comments which one you’d actually try making at home! Note: Ingredient costs and household cooking practices vary widely across China and by location, household, and recipe. “Pennies” is used figuratively to emphasize potential savings rather than as a literal universal cost.