Panwang Cured Meat

Panwang Cured Meat

　　Panwang Cured Meat

　　Panwang Cured Meat, also known as Yao Mountain Cured Meat, is a premium delicacy of the Yao people, celebrated for its color, aroma, and taste.

　　As the saying goes: “No mountain in the Nanling Range lacks Yao presence.” For thousands of years, the descendants of Panwang have made their homes among vast green mountains, steep slopes, and deep valleys, with only a few terraced fields to rely on. Millet, sorghum, and drought-resistant grains could barely sustain them year-round, so they supplemented their diet by hunting wild animals in the mountains. Whenever there was leftover meat from these hunts, it would be cured and hung above the hearth to be smoked and dried over the fire for future consumption—this is what is called smoked (or cured) meat. Originally, the animals smoked included all kinds of wild game caught through hunting, but over time this evolved to include domesticated pigs and poultry raised in their yards, and eventually focused on selecting well-marbled pork from slaughtered pigs. Passed down through generations, this method of making cured meat is said to have been pioneered by Panwang, hence the name Panwang Cured Meat. Thus, during the annual “Panwang Festival” on the 16th day of the 10th lunar month, when the Yao people honor their ancestor Panwang, this exquisitely prepared cured meat is always an essential offering.

　　Those who have tasted Panwang Cured Meat all agree that, whether steamed plainly or stir-fried with seasonings and served on a plate, its golden, translucent appearance is a feast for the eyes. When eaten, it boasts an exceptional texture—the meat is fragrant, the skin crispy, and even the fattier pieces are not greasy. It has earned the reputation of “cured meat that fills the home with fragrance at the Winter Solstice,” and is widely renowned.

　　In recent years, overseas members of the Yao community have crossed oceans every year to return to China and journey to the Yao Mountains of Jianghua, regarding it as a sacred homeland of the Yao people. During the 1995 “Panwang Festival,” when a 31-member delegation from the “Federation of United Yao Associations of America” visited Panwang Temple to worship their ancestor Panwang, they were deeply moved at the sight of the Panwang Cured Meat offering. Their longing and reverence for their shared Yao ancestry stirred strong emotions. They all felt immensely fortunate to witness and taste the Panwang Cured Meat.