Siu mei facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siu mei |
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Roasted goose (top left)
soy sauce chicken (top middle) white cut chicken (top right) roasted pork (bottom left) Char siu (bottom right, on tray) |
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| Traditional Chinese | 燒味 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 烧味 | ||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | shāowèi | ||||||||||||||
| Cantonese Yale | sīuméi | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | roasted items | ||||||||||||||
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Siu mei (Chinese: 燒味; Cantonese Yale: sīuméi) is a special type of roasted meat from Cantonese cuisine. It gets its name from how it's cooked: meats are roasted over an open fire or in a large oven that spins them slowly. This cooking method gives the meat a unique, deep barbecue flavor. Before roasting, the meat is usually coated with a tasty sauce, and each type of meat has its own special sauce.
Siu mei is very popular in Hong Kong and Macau. It's also a favorite in Chinatowns around the world, especially among Cantonese who live outside China. In Hong Kong, people eat siu mei very often. The most popular kind is char siu (barbecued pork), followed by siu yuk (roasted pork belly), and then roasted goose. Siu mei is also known as siu laap (simplified Chinese: 烧腊; traditional Chinese: 燒臘; Mandarin Pinyin: shāo là; Jyutping: siu1 laap6). This wider term includes siu mei, lou mei (braised meats), and other cooked or preserved meats from Cantonese cooking.
The History of Siu Mei Shops
Siu mei has been a part of Hong Kong's food scene for a long time. In 1978, after some important meetings about food safety and markets, siu mei shops officially started to open in public markets across Hong Kong. These public markets became a very popular place for everyday people to buy siu mei. It made this delicious food easy for everyone to enjoy.
How Siu Mei is Prepared
Siu mei is part of a bigger group of Cantonese cooked meats called siu laap (simplified Chinese: 烧腊; traditional Chinese: 燒臘; Mandarin Pinyin: shāo là; Jyutping: siu1 laap6). This group also includes lou mei (like braised duck wings) and preserved meats such as orange cuttlefish and white cut chicken. Even though some of these dishes are not roasted, they are often made in the same kitchens and sold alongside siu mei. These places are usually called siu laap shops or Chinese BBQ shops.
Making siu mei needs special equipment. Large ovens and spinning rotisseries are used to cook the meat perfectly. Because of this, most homes in Hong Kong, mainland China, or other countries don't have the tools to make it. So, people usually buy siu mei from special shops. You can find these shops in places like hawker centres (in Hong Kong), food courts (in Chinese malls like Pacific Mall), and even in ethnic supermarkets (like T & T Supermarket in Canada).
It's very common to get siu mei as take-out. Customers often buy plain white rice to go with it. A typical siu mei meal includes the roasted meat served on top of plain white rice or noodles. It often comes with vegetables like napa cabbage, choy sum, or gai lan. This meal is usually served in a plastic container or on a plate.
In fancy Chinese restaurants and for big celebrations, a barbecue platter is often the first dish served. This platter might have roasted suckling pig (yu chu) or roasted pig belly (siu yuk), along with char siu, soy sauce chicken, and roasted duck (siu aap). You can also order different kinds of siu laap as full dishes, like a half or whole chicken, duck, or goose.
Popular Siu Laap Dishes
Here are some of the most popular types of siu laap, including siu mei and lou mei:
- Char siu (叉燒) - This is barbecued pork, often sweet and reddish.
- Siu ngo (燒鵝) - Roasted goose, known for its crispy skin and juicy meat.
- Siu aap (燒鴨) - Roasted duck, similar to roasted goose but with its own unique flavor.
- White cut chicken (白切雞) - Steamed chicken that is marinated, served cold or at room temperature.
- Soy sauce chicken (豉油雞) - Chicken cooked in a flavorful soy sauce mixture.
- Siu yuk (燒肉) - Roasted pig, especially loved for its super crispy skin.
- Yu chu (乳猪) - Roasted suckling pig, which is a young pig roasted until its skin is very crisp.
- Orange cuttlefish (鹵水墨魚) - Cuttlefish that has been marinated in a special sauce.
- Lou sui aap yik (滷水鴨翼) - Duck wings that are braised (slow-cooked) in a rich master stock.
See also
In Spanish: Siu mei para niños
