炒肝 (chǎogān) · chao gan, stewed pork liver and intestines

Meanings

1 chao gan
2 stewed pork liver and intestines

Made with

About the dish

京菜 Beijing · 小吃 Snack

Pieces of pork intestine and a little liver in a thick, glossy, garlicky gravy, eaten in Beijing for breakfast with small steamed buns. Despite 炒 in the name it is a stew, not a stir-fry. The offal taste is strong.

Characters

Examples

HSK 6

早上来一碗炒肝配包子最地道。

Zǎoshang lái yì wǎn chǎogān pèi bāozi zuì dìdao.

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

HSK 7-9

炒肝其实不是炒的，是勾芡煮的。

Chǎogān qíshí búshì 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.