Dry Pot
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Dry Pot
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Dry Pot (Simplified Chinese: 干锅; Traditional Chinese: 乾鍋; Pinyin: Gān guō) is a modern Chinese restaurant category: ingredients (chicken, beef, cauliflower, frog, organ meats, tofu, etc.) are stir-fried with chili, fermented bean products, and aromatics, then served still sizzling in a dry wok or small pot without a soup broth. Diners pick from the shared vessel as it stays hot. It is not soup Chong Qing Hot Pot, not Ma La Xiang Guo (dry mala mix often bagged or plated differently), and not ordinary home stir-fry plated on a cold dish—though techniques overlap. Soft marketing that any spicy wok dish is "dry pot" stretches the restaurant category name.[1]
Characteristics
Deep-red or chili-flecked dry ingredients piled in a metal pot over a burner or insulated base; aroma is spicy, oily, and fragrant. Heat continues at the table.
Ingredients (overview)
Protein and vegetables vary by named variant (干锅鸡, 干锅花菜, etc.); common seasonings include dried chili, Sichuan peppercorn, garlic, ginger, doubanjiang or related fermented sauces, cumin in some house styles.
History and culture
Popularized in inland Chinese restaurant chains and nightlife dining from late 20th / early 21st century onward; Sichuan and Hunan spice profiles are common. Soft single-city inventorship claims are disputed. English menus say "dry pot" or "gan guo." See Sichuan Food and Hunan Food.
Serving and variations
Shared main with rice; choose a protein/veg theme. See Sichuan Food, Hunan Food, Ma La Xiang Guo, and Chong Qing Hot Pot.