Firewood-smoked cured meat

Firewood-smoked cured meat

　　Firewood-smoked cured meat is one of the most beloved traditional foods among the people of Huaihua. It is usually smoked. Around the 26th or 27th of the 12th lunar month, every household slaughters a New Year’s pig to prepare for the holidays, and any leftover meat from the festivities is then smoked over a firewood stove. After several months, it becomes the famous firewood-smoked cured meat.

　　　　It originated in the Song Dynasty and has flourished through the ages, passed down through generations. Its color is vividly distinct, the meat is dry and firm, the skin is tough yet not hard, the cut surface is bright red and glossy, the cured aroma is rich, and the lean-to-fat ratio is just right. The fat is rich but not greasy, and the skin is chewy and flavorful—making it a convenient and premium-quality delicacy.