explore CHINA (Family)

How do you want to Explore China?
explore CHINA (Family)

In our explore China box, we are merely scratching the surface by introducing families and kids to basic information about the country and to the biggest and best known Chinese festival, Chinese Lunar New Year.  Included in the box are 3 popular recipes, and educational materials to learn about the country's geography, history, music, art and language.

Note - Actual packaging may vary from images shown.

Dietary Restrictions?

If you prefer to skip the shelf stable ingredients in these recipes due to dietary concerns, choose no mixes. Many of our kits have options for people who prefer gluten free or vegetarian dishes.

With Mixes
No Mixes

Free Shipping

Shipping is free for all country boxes, subscriptions and bundles in the Continental U.S. (AK and HI cost an additional $3 to ship).

other ways to EXPLORE

What’s Inside China Family Box?

3 Authentic Chinese Step-by-Step Recipes

3 Authentic Chinese Step-by-Step Recipes

(4 servings each)

5-7 Shelf Stable Ingredients/Mixes

5-7 Shelf Stable Ingredients/Mixes

(pre-measured sauces and spice blends)

Shopping List

Shopping List

(for fresh ingredients)

1 China Flag Pin and 1 Sticker

1 China Flag Pin and 1 Sticker

16-Page Cultural
Explorer Booklet

16-Page Cultural
Explorer Booklet

(explore China's food traditions and geography, including music, movies & books)

Online Membership Portal Access

Online Membership Portal Access

(including cooking videos, blogs, recipes)

Fun Cooking Tool

Fun Cooking Tool

1 Passport in your first box

1 Passport in your first box

3 Authentic Chinese Step-by-Step Recipes

3 Authentic Chinese Step-by-Step Recipes

(4 servings each)

5-7 Shelf Stable Ingredients/Mixes

5-7 Shelf Stable Ingredients/Mixes

(pre-measured sauces and spice blends)

Shopping List

Shopping List

(for fresh ingredients)

1 China Flag Pin and 1 Sticker

1 China Flag Pin and 1 Sticker

What’s Inside China Family Box?
16-Page Cultural
Explorer Booklet

16-Page Cultural
Explorer Booklet

(explore China's food traditions and geography, including music, movies & books)

Online Membership Portal Access

Online Membership Portal Access

(including cooking videos, blogs, recipes)

Fun Cooking Tool

Fun Cooking Tool

1 Passport in your first box

1 Passport in your first box

What’s Inside China Family Box?
Recipe details

Recipe details

These 3 popular Chinese recipes serve 4 people. Additional spices and sauces or other add ons are available for larger families. Note - Click on recipe mixes for ingredients and nutritional facts.

Sesame Ginger Meatballs

Sesame Ginger Meatballs

These Asian meatballs draw from Lion's Head meatballs, a classic dish from Jiangsu cuisine, known for its tender, large-sized pork meatballs braised in a flavorful ginger and soy-based sauce.

Mapo Tofu

Mapo Tofu

Mapo Tofu (pronounced "ma po dou fu") is a classic and popular dish from China’s Sichuan province. The dish is named after a Chengdu-based cook whose face was marked with pockmarks ("ma" means pockmarked, and "po" is an old lady).

General Tso’s Chicken

General Tso’s Chicken

General Tso’s Chicken, a beloved sweet and tangy dish, is said to have originated in China’s Hunan province and is rumored to be named after Zuo Zongtang (pronounced Tso Tsungtang), a Qing dynasty military leader.

Sesame Ginger Meatballs

These Asian meatballs draw from Lion's Head meatballs, a classic dish from Jiangsu cuisine, known for its tender, large-sized pork meatballs braised in a flavorful ginger and soy-based sauce.

Mapo Tofu

Mapo Tofu (pronounced "ma po dou fu") is a classic and popular dish from China’s Sichuan province. The dish is named after a Chengdu-based cook whose face was marked with pockmarks ("ma" means pockmarked, and "po" is an old lady).

General Tso’s Chicken

General Tso’s Chicken, a beloved sweet and tangy dish, is said to have originated in China’s Hunan province and is rumored to be named after Zuo Zongtang (pronounced Tso Tsungtang), a Qing dynasty military leader.

Discover China

Discover China

CHINA, officially known as the People's Republic of China, is the world’s most populous country and the fourth largest by land area. Located in East Asia, it is known for its vast and varied landscapes—from the Himalayan mountains and Gobi Desert to bustling megacities and ancient river valleys. With a history spanning over 5,000 years, China has shaped global civilization through its rich cultural heritage, dynastic legacies, and lasting innovations. Chinese cuisine is celebrated for its rich diversity of flavors and cooking techniques, balancing savory, sweet, sour, and umami elements in every dish. This kit makes authentic Chinese flavors approachable, even if you’ve never cooked Chinese food before.

Discover China Discover China

FAQs

The recommended age for our explore box is 5 years old or older.  All our cooking steps are rated by chef hats for complexity and safely, and there are steps for kids 3 or 4 years old to mix or whisk and still be helpful in the kitchen.  Teenagers should be able to prepare the full meal by themselves.

We include organic ingredients whenever possible.It is not guaranteed.

All our dried spices are McCormick sourced quality that will last indefinitely. All our sauces are hot-filled and approved by Cornell Food Tech; they will last indefinitely if it is not opened. We don’t put a best by date because we believe in reducing food waste. If your mixes don’t look fresh, we will replace them right away! We produce a new batch of spice/sauce mixes every few weeks.

Yes, most of our packaging materials are recyclable. Just break down the boxes and recycle accordingly.

FAQ Image

Overall rating: 4.383889 / 5 from 1589 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

Explore China (Family) offers a delightful educational experience for families, featuring a variety of recipes and materials about China's geography, history, music, art, and language. Customers appreciate the gift aspect, the enjoyable experience, and the delicious meals. However, opinions on the complexity for kids and the ingredients vary.

Summary topics

  • Gift Quality: 5%
  • Country Learning: 5%
  • Box Appeal: 14%
  • Experience Quality: 8%
  • Meal Quality: 9%

Review topics: [].

Review highlights

  • "It has easy recipes to follow, nice presentation and fun little things for younger kids to do as well as older."Stephanie E.
  • "All the Eat to Explore boxes come with high quality recipes, quality ingredients and top notch information."Autumn B.
  • "We love that the meals and literature fit in Perfectly with our World Government Independent Study Course."Denise F.

Reviews

Still checking it out, but so far, so good.

"So far so good. We accidentally used the wrong seasoning packet on our first meal, lol, but it was a great learning experience. So far everything seems easy to follow. I may have more thoughts after a few more boxes."

Abigail M. (5/5)

The BEST Stay Home Date Night!

"We thoroughly enjoyed this Italy kit. It was thoughtfully put together and it makes for a really great few date nights! After doing our first one, we are both looking forward to cooking our next meal from our kitchen together!"

Katrina W. (5/5)

Explore France

"I provided this to my clients after their cruise to France. They all loved it, and really thought it was unique. They also said that the chicken came out just like the recipe and was so moist and tasty."

Dana O. (5/5)

Best buy ever!

"We have gotten all the kits from each country and our family really enjoys them! They're educational, not only for the kids but for us adults as well. The recipes bring us together as we learn facts about different countries, cooking techniques, and trying new food."

Lyndsi G. (5/5)

Great Homeschooling Activity!

"It was such a great experience shopping for the ingredients together as a family and then coming home to cook it together! Such a great learning activity to add to homeschooling. My daughter is 4 and loved this whole experience! She got to learn about Greece too and then eat a dish we personally made. How fun is that!?"

Sophia X. (5/5)

Easy recipes to enjoy

"My 12y made Jamaican Curry. It came out delicious."

Aaliyah #. (5/5)

Excellent for homeschooling

"Kids love exploring the world with this subscription. They love cooking the recipes. Instructions are easy to follow, and dishes are delicious! The passport and the flag pins are very exciting for them!"

Sky T. (5/5)

Deluxe explorer bundle

"We got the apron and the cookbook, which is awesome, but we didn't get the 2 country boxes."

Taletha M. (2/5)

Monthly subscription

"I got my son the 6 month subscription to start and see how we liked it. So far we have enjoy each month. But all the months we have gotten have been countries from Asia and my son is started getting bored. I wish we would have gotten more of a variety of other countries. Overall we have enjoyed trying new recipes and foods that we wouldn’t have otherwise tried. I definitely would consider renewing our subscription in the future."

Allison #. (3/5)

Delicious!

"My family and I made Chicken Bulgogi, Namul, and Bidnaetteok. It was all delicious and fun to make. Dak Bulgogi will be a new staple in our household. We love learning about different cultures and culinary experiences."

Annalee J. (5/5)

Q&A