The Ultimate Old School Comfort Food.
Every culture has its own comfort food. In Southern China and parts of Southeast Asia, the ultimate comfort comes from a sizzling, steaming hot clay pot. Learn the clay pot rice history and what makes it so special.
Clay Pot Rice History
Clay pot cooking has existed for thousands and thousands of years. In fact, there is evidence of Chinese culinary clay pots from over 5,000 years ago. Clay pot rice has existed for so long that there are no origin stories nor dates for its first appearance.
However, what is known is that the dish uses the most ancient cooking methods with common food: the ancient clay pot over a charcoal flame with rice and chicken.
This traditional dinner dish originated from the Guangdong province and it’s a popular Cantonese dish in Southern China and Southeast Asia, namely in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore.
It’s not a fancy, high-end meal. Rather, it’s for the working class and their families to share together. Even today in Hong Kong, clay pot rice is the first meal of the fall season as soon as the temperature drops.
What Makes Clay Pot Rice So Special
Clay pot rice is the ultimate comfort food, especially for locals in Hong Kong and Singapore. There is nothing like that warm soothing feeling when eating the piping hot rice.
The dish started with presoaked or par-cooked long-grain white rice. Then, chicken bites, Chinese sausage, and vegetables are added on top of the rice (these toppings are flexible and can be customized) and cooked over an old-school charcoal stovetop.
The charcoal creates a distinctive, smoky charred flavor in the pot of rice. The high heat also forms a charred crust on the bottle of the rice, but it is never burnt. The whole preparation takes at least 30 minutes.
Finally, the cook or the diner tops the whole thing with a thick, sweet soy sauce. Some like to cover the pot after pouring on the sauce so together with the rice it creates a caramelized crust.
Today, you can typically find clay pot rice in generations-old mom-and-pop restaurants in Hong Kong or in hawker stalls in Singapore. And while you can make it at home over a gas burner, there is truly something special about that charcoal flavor and old-school clay pot.
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