Clay pots are a staple of Chinese cookware, especially the soup pot. Soups are a longstanding tradition in Chinese culture, used not only to nourish, but to heal the body and soul. For the large repertoire of soups in Chinese cuisine, the ceramic soup pot is the tool of choice to bring all the ingredients together. Its rustic and simple look begets its functionality and versatility. Clay is a naturally porous material which enables even heat distribution so flavors can be developed slowly and blended with all of the ingredients during the cooking process. As ingredients caramelize and sear in clay pots over fire, a special flavor and aroma is formed that is unique to each individual clay pot's usage which cannot be replicated in stainless steel cookware. However, given the nature of clay, sudden temperature changes can crack the pot. Thus, we recommend customers to use gradual heat increases and to season the pot from time to time.
