Clay pots have been used by many cultures for cooking since ancient times. This article specifically refers to the Chinese clay pot, which is also called “sand pot” due to its sandy coating, which helps retain heat. The sand pot in Chin is commonly used to make soups, stew, porridge and other Chinese slow-cooked dishes.

Clay pots are made from exceptional clay found only in China that resists a direct flame or direct contact with an electric burner. These pots represent a quite ancient and authentic part of Chinese cuisine. Many of the pots also come in a removable wire “cage” covering the outside that serves both to protect the fragile pottery and distribute heat evenly.

Because of the fragile exterior, the use of clay pots require much care.

Traditionally, the clay pot is served right from the oven onto the dinner table. The most significant characteristic of clay pot cooking is that the pot will retain heat and keep the content warm. To warm the body on a wintry day, a clay pot dish is the choice for many Chinese.

Since wet clay does not become as hot as metal and take much longer to be heated, the flavors of different ingredients thoroughly integrate with each other, bringing out unique mix of flavors that you can never get by cooking with other vessels.

For today’s health-minded, clay pots can produce deliciously moist foods with little fat, salt and little fuss. Additionally, most of the concentrate and nutrition of ingredients are kept in the pot, which is important for cooking Chinese herbal formulas and slow-cooked soup. The most popular clay pot dishes for Cantonese are clay pot rice.