Bakkwa: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 04:07, 10 December 2006

Revision as of 09:30, 4 January 2007

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Traditionally, bakkwa was made using leftover meats from festivals and banquets. They were preserved with sugar and salt and then kept for later consumption, and was the preferred method at a time when refrigeration was not available. The meat from these celebrations is trimmed of the fat, sliced, marinated and then [[Smoking (food)|smoked]]. After smoking, the meat is cut into small pieces and stored for later. It is believed that the distinguishing feature behind the preparation was in the marination, and the recipe is often closely guarded.

Contemporarily, however, the meat is often prepared using fresh produce or imported pre-packed and pre-marinated from China, and barbecued in high-temperature ovens locally. Currently, two main variants exist, with more traditional ones involving minced meat shaped into slices (碎片肉干), and the newer versions involving slicing off solid blocks of meat (切片肉干). The latter, although more expensive, is increasingly popular for its tougher texture and being a healtheirhealthier choice since lessit fatis arelower presentin fat. The meat is most commonly served plain and in square-shaped slices, although spicy versions are also popular. It may be cut into bite-sized circles to resemble [[coin]]s, thus referred to as "''Golden Coins''" (金钱肉干) for auspicious reasons during the festive seasons. More adventurous chains have attempted to introduce more novel ways of selling the meat.

==Popular culture==