Siu mei

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Siu mei

Roasted goose (top left)
chicken (top right)
pork (bottom)
Traditional Chinese: 燒味
Simplified Chinese: 烧味
Cantonese Jyutping: siu1 mei6*2
Literal meaning: burn-flavoured

Siu mei is the generic name, in Cantonese cuisine, given to meats roasted on spits over an open fire or a huge wood burning rotisserie oven. It creates a unique, deep barbecue flavor that is usually enhanced by a flavorful sauce (a different sauce is used for each meat). Shops selling these meats are commonly found in Chinese-speaking regions in East and Southeast Asia.

Contents

[edit] Terminology

When "siu mei" is used as a loose term, it generally means "an order of barbecued meat".

[edit] Preparation

Usually meat of this type is purchased in a take-out box as siu mei takes a great deal of resources to prepare. It is also a staple item in typical Cantonese restaurants. Shops generally have large ovens and rotisserie-like utilities for rotating the meat. This is almost entirely a take-out category as few families in Hong Kong or China have the equipment for it. Families order or prepare their own plain white rice. A siu mei meal usually consists of one box comprising half meat and half rice. It should be noted that certain dishes such as orange cuttlefish or white cut chicken are not roasted at all, but are often prepared and sold alongside BBQ roasted meats in siu mei establishments, hence they are generally classified as siu mei dishes.

[edit] Adaptation

A Hong Kong siu mei style shop
A Hong Kong siu mei style shop

Although siu mei originated in Cantonese cuisine, several siu mei dishes are readily available in overseas Chinatown communities, and even in American Chinese cuisine.

[edit] Varieties

[edit] See also

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