At the table
Take a small portion of pork with its bean-paste filling and some rice in the same bite. Served as a shared sweet dish at a meal or banquet; a little goes a long way. Let it cool slightly after steaming.
Contains pork and commonly lard, so it is neither vegetarian nor vegan despite its sweet filling. Soy sauce may contain soy and wheat; a soybean filling also contains soy. Honey, fermented-rice liquid and cooking wine vary by recipe. Confirm the filling, seasonings and shared utensils for allergies or dietary restrictions. Sticky rice does not make the finished dish gluten-free.
Red bean paste is one familiar filling; some cooks use a sweet soybean filling. White or brown sugar changes the colour and sweetness. Honey, fermented-rice liquid or cooking wine appear in some recipes. Lard is often mixed into the rice, and extra sugar may be sprinkled on top.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Red bean paste is one familiar filling; some cooks use a sweet soybean filling. White or brown sugar changes the colour and sweetness. Honey, fermented-rice liquid or cooking wine appear in some recipes. Lard is often mixed into the rice, and extra sugar may be sprinkled on top.
Typical ingredients
In some versions
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Sweet bean paste and sugar meet rich pork flavour. Brown sugar adds a deeper sweetness in some versions; the representative dish contains no chilli.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Very tender pork and soft fat around smooth bean paste, with moist, sticky rice underneath. The skin softens during steaming; it is not served as crisp crackling.
- How it’s made
- Cook a piece of skin-on pork belly, colour the skin with soy sauce and briefly fry it. Cut into joined pairs of thin slices, spread sweet red bean paste between them and arrange skin-side down in a bowl. Cover with prepared sweetened sticky rice, steam until tender, then invert onto a plate.
Red bean paste is one familiar filling; some cooks use a sweet soybean filling. White or brown sugar changes the colour and sweetness. Honey, fermented-rice liquid or cooking wine appear in some recipes. Lard is often mixed into the rice, and extra sugar may be sprinkled on top.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Chongqing. Associated with Sichuan.
About this regional connection
Chongqing: CNS/local reporting documents shared Sichuan-Chongqing jiasha rou tradition. Sichuan: Sichuan sweet banquet bowl-steamed pork.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有四川甜烧白吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
Sweetness at the Sichuan banquet table
Sweet shaobai belongs to the Sichuan and Chongqing tradition of bowl-steamed banquet dishes. The name jiasha rou describes the paste sandwiched between paired pork slices. Turning the bowl out puts the carefully arranged meat on top and the sticky rice below.