Bakkwa

Chinese bakkwa made from pork
Alternative names	Rougan
Place of origin	China
Region or state	Fujian
Serving temperature	Hot or cold
Main ingredients	Dried meat
Media: Bakkwa

Bakkwa
Bakkwa inSimplified Chinese (top) andTraditional Chinese character (below)
Traditional Chinese	肉乾
Simplified Chinese	肉干
Literal meaning	dried meat
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin ròugān IPA [ɻôʊkán] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization yuhk gōn Jyutping juk6 gon1 Southern Min HokkienPOJ bah-koaⁿ Tâi-lô bah-kuann

Bakkwa (simplified Chinese:肉干;traditional Chinese:肉乾;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:bah-koaⁿ;pinyin:ròugān) is aChinese salty-sweetdried meat product similar tojerky.

Bakkwa is made with ameat preservation and preparation technique originating fromChina.^[1] The general method of production has remained virtually unchanged throughout the centuries, but the techniques have been gradually improved.^[1] It is traditionally made ofpork,beef, ormutton, which is prepared with spices, sugar, salt and soy sauce, then dried on racks at around 50 to 60 °C (122 to 140 °F) to a finalwater activity between 0.60 and 0.69.^[2]

Nowadays, products with a softer texture, lighter color and less sugar are preferred.^[1] Theshafu type of bakkwa products has a higher water content, and thus has a softer texture and lower sugar content.^[1] Whereas the traditional bakkwa has awater activity below 0.7,shafu bakkwa tends to be closer to a water activity of about 0.79.^[3] Nevertheless,shafu can have a similar shelf life to other types of bakkwa.^[1]

Bakkwa is very popular inSingapore andMalaysia where it is traditionally eaten during theChinese New Year. When Chinese immigrants brought this delicacy over to Singapore and Malaysia, it began to take on local characteristics. A notable example lies in the preparation of bakkwa, where the meat is grilled over charcoal rather than air-dried, imparting a smokier flavor to the meat. The Singaporean and Malaysian versions of bakkwa are also sweeter than their mainland China counterparts with many different variations having developed to suit local palates, such as chili bakkwa.

• 
  Different kinds of bakkwa on display, Hong Kong
• 
  Bakkwa at aBee Cheng Hiang shop in Singapore

• Bee Cheng Hiang
• Dendeng
• Dried shredded squid
• Rousong

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• Chinese New Year foods
• Dried meat
• Hong Kong cuisine
• Indonesian cuisine
• Macanese cuisine
• Malaysian cuisine
• Singaporean cuisine
• Taiwanese cuisine
• Chinese meat dishes

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