炒肝 (chǎogān): chao gan

Meanings

1 chao gan
2 Beijing stir-fried pork liver and intestines in thickened garlic sauce

Characters

炒

Examples

早上来一碗炒肝配包子最地道。

Zǎoshang lái yī wǎn chǎogān pèi bāozi zuì dìdao.

A bowl of chao gan with baozi in the morning is the most authentic.

炒肝其实不是炒的，是勾芡煮的。

Chǎogān qíshí bù shì chǎo de, shì gōuqiàn zhǔ de.

Chao gan isn't actually stir-fried — it's simmered with a starch-thickened sauce.

Tips

culture

Despite the name 炒 ('stir-fry'), 炒肝 is actually a stew — pork liver and intestines in a garlic-heavy broth thickened with cornstarch. It was invented around 1900 at Beijing's 会仙居 shop and is traditionally slurped from the bowl's rim without chopsticks. It's paired with pork buns (包子) in classic Beijing breakfasts.