A flavorful winter: China's tradition of preserving meat

See below for an overview of the different types of Chinese preserved meat.

In many cities across China, you'll be able to easily find chunks of homemade pork belly and sausages hanging from apartment balconies and windows, right alongside rows of laundry.

The cured pork belly looks a lot like jerky but it has a savory taste after smoking. They are used as an ingredient in many Chinese dishes to create more layers of flavor but are seldom cooked as the main attraction.

Each region's sausage has its own seasoning and flavor profile. The Cantonese variation is sweet, flavored with sugar, rice wine, and soy sauce. In Sichuan Province, the sausages tend to be spicier. It is seasoned with chili pepper and Sichuan pepper powder. Both of them are great choices as ingredients for dishes like fried rice and vegetable stir-fry.