 Dried Chinese sausages | |
| Alternative names | lap cheong,lap chong |
|---|---|
| Type | Sausage |
| Place of origin | China |
| Main ingredients | freshpork or liver |
| Chinese sausage | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| preserved sausage | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 臘腸 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 腊肠 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | preserved sausage | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| liver sausage | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 膶腸 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 膶肠 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | liver sausage | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese | lạp xưởng | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Thai name | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Thai | กุนเชียง[kūnt͡ɕʰīa̯ŋ] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| RTGS | kun chiang | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Khmer name | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Khmer | សាច់ក្រកចិន | ||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese sausages are many different types ofsausages with ties toChina, theSinosphere or theChinese diaspora.
There is a choice of fatty or lean sausages. There are different kinds ranging from those made using fresh pork to those made using pig livers, duck livers and even turkey livers. Usually a sausage made with liver will be darker in color than one made without liver. Recently, there have even been countries producing chicken Chinese sausages. Traditionally they are classified into two main types. It is sometimes rolled and steamed indim sum.
Lap cheong, or Chinese sausage, is a type ofcured meat product commonly found in southern regions of China such asJiangsu,Zhejiang,Sichuan, andGuangdong.[2]
The southern flavor of Chinese sausage is commonly known by itsCantonese namelap cheong (orlap chong, simplified Chinese:腊肠; traditional Chinese:臘腸; pinyin:làcháng; Jyutping:laap6 coeng2; Cantonese Yale:laahp chéung). Chinese sausage is used as an ingredient in a number of dishes in thesouthern Chinese provinces ofGuangdong,Fujian,Jiangxi,Sichuan, andHunan, and alsoHong Kong andTaiwan.
Sichuan sausage contains and is flavored by red chili powder, Sichuan pepper powder, and Pixian bean sauce. Two common examples of such dishes includefried rice andlo mai gai. The traditional unpackaged forms are usually found instreet markets orwet markets.
Innortheast China, especiallyHeilongjiang's largest cityHarbin,Harbin-style sausage (simplified Chinese:红肠; traditional Chinese:紅腸; pinyin:hóngcháng), a popular regional specialty, is a coarsely ground, smoked savory red sausage similar to Polish "country"kielbasa and Lithuanianskilandis. It was first manufactured in March 1909 byLithuanian staff in a Russian-capitalized factory namedChurin Sausage Factory, located in Harbin's Daoli District. An alternative name islidaosi (Chinese:里道斯),[3] from Russianколбаса литовская (kolbasa litovskaya, "Lithuanian sausage").[4] Harbin-style sausage subsequently became popular in China, especially in northern regions.[5] A sweeter dried version similar to southern Chinese sausages is also produced.
Traditional Chinese sausage is made by stuffing seasonedpork into natural casings made from animal intestines, then air-drying it naturally. However, in modern factory production, artificial casings are often used, and hot-air drying is employed to enhance production efficiency.[6] Lap cheong can be eaten on its own and is also widely used as an ingredient in various Cantonese dishes.[7]
Chinese sausage is believed to have originated during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, or even earlier. Its earliest documented method appears in the *Qimin Yaoshu*, an agricultural text from theNorthern Wei period.
The main ingredients for Chinese sausage are pork andsausage casings.[8] First, the pork is finely chopped and mixed according to the desired ratio of fat to lean meat.Salt,sugar,rice wine,soy sauce, and otherseasonings are added. The seasoned meat is then stuffed into casings, compressed, and segmented using string into desired lengths. One end is tied off, while the other end is fitted with a string for hanging. The sausages are thendehydrated using either natural air drying or hot-air drying, allowing for long-term preservation.
Compared to other types of preserved meats, Chinese sausage retains its pork fat better due to the casing that encases the meat mixture. In Guangdong and Hong Kong, Chinese sausage is a key ingredient in makinglap mei fan (claypot rice with preserved meats). Whole sausages are placed on top of uncookedrice and steamed together. Once cooked, the rich, flavorful oils from the Chinese sausage infuse the rice, giving it a distinctive aroma and taste.[9]
Chinese sausage buns (lap cheong bao) are steamed buns made with whole sausages inside.[10] Sliced Chinese sausage can also be stir-fried with vegetables or mixed into other dishes. It is a common ingredient in a variety of Cantonese foods, includingstir-fried glutinous rice,lo mai gai (sticky rice in lotus leaf), andturnip cake.[11]
Because Chinese sausage is a processed food made from pork, it is often difficult for consumers to determine whether the source of the ingredients and the production methods meet hygiene standards. In the past, some producers were exposed for using pigs of unknown cause of death as raw material. Others added inedibledyes or excessivepreservatives to make the sausages appear more visually appealing to consumers.
On September 14, 2006, Hong Kong’sFood and Environmental Hygiene Department releasedchemical andmicrobiological test results for seasonal festive foods. One sample of "Fengcheng Sliced Pork Sausage" produced in Macau was found to containrhodamine B, a banned dye also known colloquially as “flower red powder.” This substance can cause chest discomfort,vomiting, and damage to thecentral nervous system.[12]
In January 2013, a business inZhejiang Province was exposed for using pigs of unknown cause of death to produce Chinese sausage. A total of 7,500 kilograms of the resulting “toxic sausage” was distributed to various nearby provinces and cities. The responsible party was sentenced on August 23 of that year.[13]
InVietnamese, Chinese sausage is calledlạp xưởng orlạp xường. It has been incorporated into a variety of dishes from simple omelets to more complex main courses. Due to the salty taste of the sausages, they are used in moderation with other ingredients to balance the flavor. The sausages are made from pork (lạp xưởng heo) or chicken (lạp xưởng gà), the latter of which yields a leaner taste.Tung lò mò (Cham: ꨓꨭꩂ ꨤꨟꨯꨱꨥtung lamaow) is a similar sausage made from beef by theChams (who areMuslim) in southern Vietnam. The province ofSóc Trăng is the largest producer of these sausages, with other production areas includingCái Lậy District. In local cuisine, dried pork sausage is commonly used as a filling in dumplings, pillow cakes (bánh gối), wontons, spring rolls (bánh tráng cuốn), mooncakes, and sticky rice dumplings (bánh chưng orbánh tét).
InBurmese, the sausage is called eitherkyet u gyaung (chicken sausage;ကြက်အူချောင်း) orwet u gyaung (pork sausage;ဝက်အူချောင်း). The sausages made in Myanmar are more meaty and compact compared to those in Singapore or China. They are usually used in fried rice and along with fried vegetables, mostly cabbage.
In thePhilippines, Chinese sausage is an ingredient in some Chinese-Filipino dishes likesiopaobola-bola. It is sometimes confused with and used in place of the native sausagechorizo de Macao (which is also sometimes known as "Chinese chorizo"). The latter is not derived from the Chinese sausage, but derives its name from the use ofstar anise, which is associated with Chinese cuisine in the Philippines.
Taiwan also produces a similar form of sausage; however, they are rarely dried in the manner of Cantonese sausages. The fat and meat may be emulsified, and a larger amount of sugar may be used, yielding a sweeter taste. These sausages are usually produced by localbutchers and sold at markets or made at home. This variant of Chinese sausage is known asxiangchang (香腸) in Mandarin Chinese, literally meaning fragrant sausage.
Singapore produces innovative Chinese sausages that could be considered healthier than the traditional variety. Examples include low-fat, low-sodium, and high-fibre Chinese sausages.[15][16]
InThai, Chinese sausage is calledkun chiang (Thai:กุนเชียง) after its name in theTeochew Min (贯肠,kwan chiang), the dominant Chinese language within theThai Chinese community. It is used in several Chinese dishes by the sizeable Thai Chinese community, and also in someThai dishes such asyam kun chiang, aThai salad made with this sausage. There is also Chinese sausage made withsnakehead fish (pla chon;Thai:ปลาช่อน).
InSuriname, Chinese sausage is referred to by aHakka Chinese word (花肠,fa1 cong3, 'motled sausage') rendered asfatjong,fachong,[17][18]fa-chong,fashong, orfasjong in colloquial spelling. It is part of the dishmoksi meti tyawmin (mixed meatchow mein).
Chinese sausages are generally available inAsian supermarkets outside Asia, mostly in a vacuum-packaged form, although some Chinese groceries sell the unpackaged varieties as well. These tend to be made domestically due to prohibitions on import of meat products from overseas.[19][20][21] For example, many of the Chinese sausages sold inCanada are produced by a number of manufacturers based inVancouver andToronto.[22]Lap cheong is also a very popular sausage in Hawaii due to large numbers of Chinese in Hawaii who have incorporated it into local cuisine.[citation needed]
| Overview |  | ||||
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| Fresh sausage | |||||
| Dry sausage |
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| Smoked sausage | |||||
| Cooked sausage | |||||
| Cooked smoked sausage | |||||
| Precooked sausage | |||||
| Grilled sausage | |||||
| Related articles | |||||
