5. Chao Gan (Beijing Stirred Liver)
Overview:
Chao Gan is a traditional Beijing snack and a hallmark of Jing cuisine. Though its name translates to “stir-fried liver,” it’s actually a thick, glossy stew—not stir-fried in the conventional sense.
Its origins trace back to Song Dynasty dishes like “braised liver” and “stirred lung,” but the modern version was perfected in the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty by Huixianju, a restaurant near Qianmen Gate. There, chefs transformed a simple offal soup called “plain boiled offal” (bai shui za sui) into the rich, aromatic dish known today.
