Char Siu (叉燒)
What it is
Cantonese barbecue pork — strictly a prepared/marinated protein rather than a cured one, included here as the roasted counterpart to the dried pork family.
How it's made
Pork shoulder or belly is marinated in a sweet-savory glaze of hoisin, soy, honey/maltose, five-spice, and red fermented bean curd or red yeast rice (the source of its red edge), then roasted/barbecued with repeated basting until lacquered and caramelized.
Flavor profile
Sweet, savory, smoky-charred at the edges, glossy and sticky.
Culinary uses
Sliced over rice (char siu fan), in noodle soups, folded into char siu bao (barbecue pork buns), fried rice, and siu mei roast-meat platters.
Regional variations
Hong Kong–style prizes the fatty bun chong cut with maximum char; mainland and diaspora versions vary in sweetness.
Cultural & historical context
A pillar of siu mei roast-meat shops, where lacquered meats hang in the window — one of the most recognizable images of Cantonese food.
Reference notes
Tags: `roasted`, `barbecue`, `pork`, `prepared`, `chinese`. Related: lap yuk, lap cheong. Cuisine: Chinese (Cantonese). Links → Char Siu Bao, Hoisin, Red Fermented Bean Curd.