Char siu

A rack ofchar siu pork.
Alternative names	chasu,chashao,cha sio,chāshū (Japanese),xá xíu (Vietnamese)
Place of origin	Guangdong, China
Region or state	Greater China,Japan andSingapore (and generalSinophone areas in Southeast Asia and beyond)
Main ingredients	Pork, mixture ofmaltose, Chinese rose wine andfive-spice powder
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	叉燒
Simplified Chinese	叉烧
Jyutping	caa1 siu1
Hanyu Pinyin	chāshāo
Literal meaning	"fork roasting"
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin chāshāo IPA [ʈʂʰá.ʂáʊ] Hakka Romanization cha-seu Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization chāsīu Jyutping caa1 siu1 IPA [tsʰa˥.siw˥] Southern Min HokkienPOJ chha-sio
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese	xá xíu
Thai name
Thai	หมูแดง[mǔːdɛ̄ːŋ]
RTGS	mu daeng
Korean name
Hangul	차시우
Transcriptions Revised Romanization chasiu
Japanese name
Kanji	叉焼
Kana	チャーシュー
Transcriptions Romanization chāshū
Indonesian name
Indonesian	babi panggang merah / Cha Sio
Khmer name
Khmer	សាច់ជ្រូកអាំង
Cookbook:Char siu  Media:Char siu

Char siu (Chinese:叉燒;lit. 'fork roasted')[1] is aCantonese-stylebarbecued pork.^[2] Originating inGuangdong, it can be eaten with rice, or used as an ingredient for other dishes.

It is classified as a type ofsiu mei (燒味), Cantonese roasted meat.

Pork cuts used forchar siu can vary, but a few main cuts are common:^[3][1]

• Pork loin
• Pork belly – produces juicy and fattierchar siu
• Pork butt (shoulder) – produces leanerchar siu
• Pork fat
• Pork neck end – very marbled (jyu geng yuk)

In ancient times, wild boar and other available meats were used to makechar siu. However, in modern times, the meat is typically a shoulder cut of domestic pork, seasoned with a mixture ofmaltose, Chinese rose wine andfive-spice powder,^[3] along with a selection of other ingredients. These seasonings turn the exterior layer of the meat dark red, similar to the "smoke ring" of American barbecues.Maltose may be used to givechar siu its characteristic shiny glaze.^[4][5]

Char siu is one of the most iconic dishes of Cantonese cuisine. It is typically consumed with a starch as a main dish, whether with noodles (chasiu min,叉燒麵), with rice (chasiu faan,叉燒飯), or served alone as a main dish in traditional family meals. Beyond these pairings,char siu is also a beloved filling in Cantonesedim sum, inside a bun (cha siu bao,叉燒包),^[6], or insidecheung fun as (chasiu cheong,叉燒腸).^[7] It is even paired withpastry items likepineapple buns orpuffs as (chasiu sou,叉燒酥).

The ovens used to roastchar siu are usually large gas rotisseries. Since ovens are not standard in Hong Kong households,char siu is usually purchased from asiu mei establishment, which specialises in meat dishes such aschar siu,soy sauce chicken,white cut chicken,roasted goose, androasted pork. These shops usually display the merchandise by hanging them in the window.^[5]

In Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam,char siew rice is found in many Chineseshāolà (燒臘 or 烧腊) stalls along with roast duck and roast pork. The dish consists of slices ofchar siu,cucumbers, and white rice, drenched in sweet gravy or drizzled withdark soy sauce.Char siu rice is also a well-known food within the Chinese community inMedan,North Sumatra, where it is more often calledchar sio.

InSingapore,char siew rice can also be found inHainanese chicken rice stalls, where customers have a choice of plain white rice or chicken-flavoured rice served with theirchar siu rice, and choose from garlic, chilli and soy sauces.

InThailand,char siu is calledmu daeng (Thai:หมูแดง,pronounced[mǔːdɛ̄ːŋ], "red pork") and in Cambodia it is calledsach chrouk sa seev (Khmer:សាច់ជ្រូកសាស៉ីវ,sac cruuk sa səyv).

In the Philippines, it is known as Chinese porkasado, but also referred to ascha siu. It is usually eaten with cold cuts or served stuffed insiopao.^[8]

In Flanders and Holland, it is sometimes mistaken for the Chinese/Indonesian name 'babi panggang'. This is a different dish (mostly sweeter and served with yellow pickled Chinese cabbage, calledatjar). These Chinese/Indonesian restaurants also sometimes serve cha(r) sieuw under the original name.^{[citation needed]}

Japanese cuisine has adapted叉燒 aschāshū (チャーシュー). Unlike its Cantonese variant, it is not roasted, but prepared by rolling pork belly into a log and then braising it at a low temperature.^[9] This type of braising is a Chinese technique known asred cooking, which imparts a reddish-brown coloration. The Japanese adaptation is typically seasoned with soy sauce,sake,mirin and sugar or other sweetener, without the red food colouring orfive-spice powder that characterize char siu. It is a typical ingredient for toppings inrāmen.^[1]

Char siu is the main ingredient injar jow, a once-common stir-fry dish fromEast London.^[10]

• 
  Char siu rice
• 
  Char siu bao
• 
  Char siucheung fun (rice noodle rolls)
• 
  Japanesebento withchāshū

• Asado
• List of pork dishes
• Lou mei

Wikimedia Commons has media related toChar siu.

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• Polynesian Chinese cuisine
• Cuisine of French Polynesia
• Samoan cuisine
• Grilled skewers
• Thai cuisine
• Chinese pork dishes
• Caribbean Chinese cuisine

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