1. Cooking method: the pot dishes are stuck around the iron pot, and a fire is lit below. Cooking methods are mostly stewing, steaming or burning. A side-pot dish is to fry the ingredients in an oil pan and then mix them with the fried sauce.
2. Location: Pot dishes originated from traditional cookstoves in rural areas of China, mostly in northern Jiangsu. Side pot dishes are the representative of the characteristics of oil regions, which are mainly popular in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
Generally speaking, there are obvious differences in cooking methods and areas between the floor pan and the side pan.