Wanyuan Cured Meat

Wanyuan Cured Meat

Wanyuan cured meat is an agricultural product geographical indication.

　　Wanyuan cured meat is a specialty of Wanyuan City, Dazhou, Sichuan Province. It features a bright yellow skin, deep reddish-brown meat, shiny yellow fat in cross-section, deep rose-colored lean meat, smooth and glossy texture. When cooked, it has moderate saltiness, delicious taste, a long-lasting aftertaste, and a unique cured aroma—its color, aroma, and flavor are considered top-quality among cured meats. Wanyuan cured meat is an agricultural product geographical indication.

　　Cured meat is a specialty of central and western regions such as Sichuan, Shaanxi, Hunan, and Hubei, with a history of several thousand years. Historical records indicate that over two thousand years ago, when Zhang Lu, who claimed the title of King of Hanning, was defeated and retreated south to Bazhong, he passed through Hanzhong’s Hongmiaotang where locals served him premium cured meat. Another legend says that in the 26th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty, Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu sought refuge in Xi’an. Local officials from southern Shaanxi presented cured meat as imperial fare, which Cixi highly praised. The tradition of making cured meat is not only ancient but also widespread. During the winter and lunar new year months—from “Minor Snow” to just before “Lichun”—families slaughter pigs and sheep. Aside from keeping fresh meat for the New Year, the rest is cured using salt along with a proportionate mix of spices such as prickly ash, star anise, fennel, cinnamon, and cloves. After 7–15 days of pickling in vats, the meat is strung up with palm leaf ropes to drip-dry before further processing. It is then slowly smoked over cypress branches, sugarcane peel, tung tree bark, or firewood, or hung above kitchen stoves or heated braziers to dry gradually via smoke. The western region, rich in forests and grasslands, sees nearly every household use firewood for cooking or heating, providing ideal conditions for curing meat. Even urban dwellers, though they don’t raise or slaughter animals themselves, often buy premium cuts of pork—fatty or lean—from markets during the winter months, cure them at home following traditional methods, and smoke a few pieces to enjoy the cured flavor. Those without access to wood fires often ask rural relatives to smoke the meat for them.

　　Wanyuan City Forage and Feed Workstation

　　Location: 2013

　　Geographic Scope

　　The production area of Wanyuan cured meat is Wanyuan City, located in the northeastern part of Sichuan Province. Nestled in the heart of the Daba Mountains and at the junction of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Chongqing, the city borders Chengkou County of Chongqing to the east, Xuangan County to the south, Pingchang County and Tongjiang County to the west, and Zhenba County and Ziyang County of Shaanxi Province to the north. With superior ecological conditions, it serves as an important green ecological barrier in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River and is known as the “back garden of Chongqing.” The protected production area of Wanyuan cured meat spans 52 towns and townships within the city, covering geographical coordinates between 107°29′–108°31′ east longitude and 31°39′–32°20′ north latitude. It stretches 96.7 km from east to west and 77.25 km from north to south, encompassing a total area of 4,065 square kilometers. The area sees an annual pig slaughter of 700,000 heads and processes over 2,000 tons of cured meat per year.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Features: Finished Wanyuan cured meat has a yellow-brown or reddish-brown color with a glossy appearance. After washing, the skin is golden yellow, and the fat surface is bright yellow. The cross-section is translucent, with smooth and glossy meat showing a deep rose color. The meat is dry and firm. When cooked (steamed or boiled), it melts in the mouth, has moderate saltiness, rich and mellow aroma, long-lasting aftertaste, firm yet tender texture, and features a distinct smoked and cured fragrance with enduring flavor. 2. Internal Quality Indicators: Sampling tests show that Wanyuan cured meat contains 36%–46.9% total amino acids, including 3.15%–4.16% lysine, 1%–1.33% methionine, 1.64%–2.14% threonine, 6.04%–7.74% glutamic acid, and 3.04%–3.88% leucine. Controlled indicators include nitrite (mg/kg, calculated as NaNO2) within 6.7–9.7 mg/kg, below the GB2730 standard of 30 mg/kg; acid value (mg/g, calculated as KOH) within 4 mg/kg; lead ≤0.033 mg/kg; arsenic ≤0.0087 mg/kg; peroxide value ≤0.018 g/100g. The product is naturally rich in selenium, with content as high as 0.25–0.29 mg/kg, classifying it as a naturally selenium-rich food. 3. Quality and Safety Standards: Pig farming follows pollution-free breeding standards. Processing strictly adheres to the “Wanyuan Cured Meat Local Standard” (DB511781/TOO7-2011). Food packaging meets QB/T6543 requirements, and transportation ensures no contamination, guaranteeing safety.