Char siu (l=fork roasted)
It is classified as a type of siu mei (燒味]]), Cantonese roasted meat.
Meat cuts
Pork cuts used for
char siu can vary, but a few main cuts are common:
Cultural variations
Cantonese cuisine
In ancient times, wild boar and other available meats were used to make
char siu. However, in modern times, the meat is typically a shoulder cut of domestic pork, seasoned with a mixture of
maltose, Chinese rose wine and five-spice powder,
along with a selection of other ingredients. These seasonings turn the exterior layer of the meat dark red, similar to the "smoke ring" of American barbecues.
Maltose may be used to give
char siu its characteristic shiny glaze.
Char siu is one of the most iconic dishes of Cantonese cuisine. It is typically consumed with a starch as a main dish, whether with noodles (chasiu min, 叉燒麵), with rice (chasiu faan, 叉燒飯), or served alone as a main dish in traditional family meals. Beyond these pairings, char siu is also a beloved filling in Cantonese dim sum, inside a bun (cha siu bao, 叉燒包),
The ovens used to roast char siu are usually large gas rotisseries. Since ovens are not standard in Hong Kong households, char siu is usually purchased from a siu mei establishment, which specialises in meat dishes such as char siu, soy sauce chicken, white cut chicken, roasted goose, and siu yuk. These shops usually display the merchandise by hanging them in the window.
Southeast Asian cuisine
In Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam,
char siew rice is found in many Chinese
shāolà (燒臘 or 烧腊) stalls along with roast duck and roast pork. The dish consists of slices of
char siu,
cucumbers, and white rice, drenched in sweet gravy or drizzled with dark soy sauce.
Char siu rice is also a well-known food within the Chinese community in
Medan,
North Sumatra, where it is more often called
char sio.
In Singapore, char siew rice can also be found in Hainanese chicken rice stalls, where customers have a choice of plain white rice or chicken-flavoured rice served with their char siu rice, and choose from garlic, chilli and soy sauces.
In Thailand, char siu is called mu daeng (, , "red pork") and in Cambodia it is called sach chrouk sa seev (, sac cruuk sa səyv).
In the Philippines, it is known as Chinese pork Philippine asado, but also referred to as cha siu. It is usually eaten with cold cuts or served stuffed in siopao.
In Flanders and Holland, it is sometimes mistaken for the Chinese/Indonesian name 'babi panggang'. This is a different dish (mostly sweeter and served with yellow pickled Chinese cabbage, called atjar). These Chinese/Indonesian restaurants also sometimes serve cha(r) sieuw under the original name.
Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine has adapted 叉燒 as
chāshū (チャーシュー). Unlike its Cantonese variant, it is not roasted, but prepared by rolling pork belly into a log and then braising it at a low temperature.
This type of braising is a Chinese technique known as
red cooking, which imparts a reddish-brown coloration. The Japanese adaptation is typically seasoned with soy sauce,
sake,
mirin and sugar or other sweetener, without the red food colouring or five-spice powder that characterize char siu. It is a typical ingredient for toppings in
ramen.
United Kingdom cuisine
Char siu is the main ingredient in
jar jow, a once-common stir-fry dish from
East London.
Gallery
File:HKU 香港大學 Pok Fu Lam Road campus 莊月明文娛中心 Chong Yuet Ming Building 餐廳 Canteen 午餐 Lunch 燒味 siu mei 叉燒飯 Char Siu Rice February 2023 Px3 02.jpg| Char siu rice
File:03 Steamed Roast Pork Bun - M Noodle Shop.jpg| Char siu bao
File:Cha siu choeng.jpg| Char siu cheung fun (rice noodle rolls)
File:としまや弁当チャーシュー弁当20240914-P1057268.jpg|Japanese bento with chāshū
See also
