Yuanling sun-dried meat has a history of nearly 300 years, originating from the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was first introduced to Chenzhou (now Yuanling County) from Jiangxi Province and later became a renowned and distinctive traditional dish in western Hunan.

Despite its name, “sun-dried”, this dish does not actually involve sun drying. The production process consists of more than ten intricate traditional techniques, with hand-crafted versions considered the finest. It uses high-quality, tender lean meat from the hind legs of pigs as the main ingredient. The meat is sliced into thin sheets, which are then marinated in a jar with a precise mixture of seven ingredients, including salt, pepper, and rice wine. After a fixed period of marination, the meat slices are evenly spread on an iron rack and roasted over smokeless charcoal until the moisture is dried out, allowing the slices to stand upright without bending and achieving a reddish-brown color—this is known as “raw sun-dried meat”. If the raw sun-dried meat is then deep-fried in cooking oil until the meat turns red and releases a fragrant aroma, it becomes “cooked sun-dried meat”. For those who wish to customize the flavor, cooked sun-dried meat can be enhanced with various seasonings to create five-spice, sweet and sour, spicy, or multi-flavored versions. The dish offers a delightful combination of crispiness, fragrance, sweetness, saltiness, and spiciness, leaving a refreshing taste that lingers in the mouth, along with nutritional value.

(Translated by Yang Hong)