All Things QQ: Taiwanese Boba, Jellies, Pudding and More

A hands-on in-person cooking class culminating in a dinner served with wine and beer. This class is limited to 12 students. Review our registration and cancellation policies here.

Welcome to a deep dive into Taiwanese Street Food, where we explore foods high in “Q”! QQ refers to the texture or chewiness of a food. The word is derived from the Hokkien word for a chewy steamed rice cake, “Kueh.” Some describe QQ foods as “Al Dente” with a chew. 

Why QQ? Texture is very important to diners in Taiwan. After your first bite of a food, you’ll likely hear “Is it Q?” before “How does it taste?”

Join Chef Henry to learn how to make all things QQ: boba, Taiwanese mochi (muahchee), aiyu jelly, sweet beans, and peanut condiments. We’ll demystify all the toppings that create this unique texture! And, there's no better way to enjoy these toppings than over a bowl of old-school Taiwanese crushed ice.

To round out the meal, Chef Henry will create a set of Pork Belly & Veggie Gua Bao as a savory treat (another class offering from Henry at 18 Reasons) and lots of refreshing fruit tea for our Bay Area summer!
 

MENU

Tsua Bing: Taiwanese Shaved Ice

Seasonal Fruit Tea (made in advance)

QQ toppings made in class:

• Sweet Potato and Taro Mua-Chee
• Pudding
• Grass Jelly
• Aiyu Jelly
• Boba

Additional toppings: Osmanthus Mungbeans, Sweet Ginger Peanuts (made in advance) 

Gua Bao by Chef Henry: Pork Belly and Vegetable Fillings
 

This menu contains the following common allergens: Peanuts, Wheat (in the Gua Bao). If you have allergies or dietary restrictions that concern your ability to cook along, please e-mail info@18reasons.org before purchasing a ticket.

Let’s Cook Together! 

Oakland dumpling maker, Henry Hsu’s past identities have included public health advocate, architect, and designer. He immersed himself in the local Bay Area food scene working at Oakland tofu maker, Hodo Foods for over a decade and most recently spent the past year working at Dumpling Club in San Francisco.  Henry’s perspectives on food are shaped by his Taiwanese heritage, Gulf Coast upbringing, Midwestern education and years of living in Latin America. From immigration to assimilation to seeking cultural identity through his food heritage, he began seeking out what Taiwanese food means to him through cooking, teaching, sharing and storytelling. He’s learned that cultural identity in food is simply not as monolithic and neatly squared away as we’d all like it to be! He also leads food tours, teaches dumpling making, hosts Taiwanese pop-up dinners & occasionally you can find him working a farm stand at a local market!