In the everyday warmth of the kitchen, children learn to touch life itself.
The Primary School runs a structured "Food Education & Nutrition" programme as part of its signature labour curriculum, using the weekly Tuesday labour class to learn and explore. This session, hosted by Class 5-1, took on a classic dish: braised prawns (you men da xia).
Getting to know the ingredient
The grade-5 students gathered in the Confucius Hall with their teacher, Ms Wang Xiaohong, to discuss how the dish is made — and the culture and stories behind the food. Braised prawns is a classic of Shandong (Lu) cuisine, traditionally made from large wild-caught prawns, pan-seared to a glossy jujube-red and prized for their tender, subtly sweet flavour. For their own cooking, the children used the common greasyback shrimp — nutritious, fresh, and well suited to young cooks and older family members alike.
Cooking it themselves
Over the weekend, the students rolled up their sleeves and showed off their kitchen skills. Handling real ingredients lets children engage all of their senses, enriching both their understanding and their creative expression.
There is nothing quite as comforting as the warmth of a home kitchen. Through the pots and pans, and the simple rhythm of preparing a meal, we hope our children come to feel — and truly touch — everyday life.