Bakkwa, or rougan (Simplified Chinese: 肉干; Traditional Chinese: 肉乾; pinyin: ròu gān) is a Chinese dried meat product that is salty and sweet and flat in form. Although bakkwa is usually made of pork, it may also be prepared using beef or chicken, with certain Chinese populations favoring one type over the other. This dried food is believed to have originated from a meat preservation and preparation technique used in ancient China that is still practiced in places with Hokkien influence.
Bakkwa, rougan, and yuhk gōn are the Hokkien, Mandarin, and Cantonese pronounciations of the term "肉干", respectively. In Malaysia and Singapore, bakkwa or ba gua is the most widely used name (Cantonese also use the term yuhk gōn', Anglicised version long yok), while in China and Taiwan the product is more commonly known as rougan. Commercially available bakkwa is sometimes also labeled as "barbecued pork," "dried pork," or "pork jerky." Rougan is particularly popular as a snack in Macau, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. In Beidou, Taiwan, it is regarded as one of the three pork delicacies.
Cultural significance
In Malaysia and Singapore, bakkwa has become a highly popular gift offered to visitors and acquaintances during the Chinese New Year, as well as amongst corporations (some may avoid doing so in respect of Muslim corporate members, particularly in Malaysia, which is Muslim-majority country, although halal chicken varieties of the snack do exist). It may also be served in functions such as wedding banquets and religious ceremony dinners. While demand is particular high during the festive seasons, it is also served throughout the year in various outlets as takeaway snacks or to be served together with main courses at home. The meat is commonly sold in red-coloured bags or packaging, an auspicious colour in Chinese culture.
Preparation
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 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 healthier choice since it is lower in 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 coins, 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.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_jerky
肉乾」是肉類的一種。其製法是去掉脂肪,切成條狀,然後浸在加了香料、鹹或甜的滷水中,目的是製成一種特別的味道,其後再在焗爐以低溫(一般是華氏 160度以下或攝氏70度) 製成一條條鹹中帶甜的小食。這種小食無需冷藏,而可以儲存一段很長的時間。類似的產品有「肉糜餅」及南非出產的「乾肉條」。
歷史由來:
”Jerky” 這個字源於蓋楚瓦語的 “Charqui ”,意思是「乾肉」。在人類的歷史文化中,要好好保存肉類,將其「製乾」是最常用的方法。把一條條切得薄薄的肉類放在太陽下風乾,旁邊放一個冒煙的火堆,可以避免昆蟲在生肉上產卵。「肉乾」是人類歷史上其中一種最原始、最重要以及必須的產品 --------- 耐儲存的食品。印加人以及古代的人一直沿用這些史前用來保存肉類的方法,他們以捕獵得來或省下來的的動物肉製成「肉乾」,這是實際環境所需的。
http://hk.knowledge.yahoo.com/question/?qid=7006102102578&others=1