Claypot Rice

Claypot Rice is Guangzhou's ultimate comfort in a bowl. Rice is cooked in an unglazed claypot over a charcoal fire, absorbing the smoky flavor of the pot. Chinese sausage (lap cheong), cured pork belly, and sometimes chicken or eel are arranged on top as the rice cooks, their fats rendering down into the grains. The hallmark is the layer of crispy, golden rice at the bottom — the socarrat — which Cantonese diners prize above everything else. A drizzle of dark soy sauce and you're done.

📖 History

Claypot cooking has been part of Cantonese cuisine for centuries. The one-dish claypot rice meal became popular in Guangzhou as an affordable, satisfying lunch for workers.