Cured meat

Cured meat

　　Cured meat (腊肉, pronounced "xi1 rou4") refers to processed meat that is first salted and then either roasted or sun-dried. It has strong preservative properties, which extend its shelf life and impart a distinctive flavor—this is the main difference between cured meat and salted meat. The name "cured meat" does not come from being made in the 12th lunar month ("腊月," pronounced "la4 yue4"), as the character "腊" in "腊月" (la4) and the "腊" in "cured meat" (xi1) are not the same in classical Chinese. In other words, the "腊" in "腊月" is the traditional form, while the "腊" in "cured meat" was originally the simplified form of the "腊" used for "腊月." Therefore, cured meat is called "腊肉" (xi1 rou4) because the character "腊" (xi1) actually means "dried meat" (as seen in the Shuowen Jiezi, an ancient Chinese dictionary). As for why people now pronounce it "la4" instead of "xi1," aside from the simplification of Chinese characters which erased the distinction between the two, it may indeed also be related to the fact that cured meat is generally made in the 12th lunar month for use in New Year's Eve dinners.