Preserved Pork Belly

Preserved Pork Belly

　　Preserved pork belly, also known as "pipa meat" or "pipa pork," is a unique type of cured meat product made by the Mosuo and Puhuo peoples living around Lugu Lake in Ninglang and on the Yongning Plain. The production method involves: during the deep winter season, completely depilating and cleaning a whole fattened pig, then making an incision along the belly to remove the internal organs and bones. The inside of the pork belly is rubbed evenly with a mixture of pepper and salt, then sewn up, and placed in a cool, ventilated spot under the pressure of stone slabs. Once air-dried, it becomes a cured pig shaped like a pipa (a traditional Chinese lute), which can be stored for years without spoiling, and is even safe from cats, mice, insects, or flies.　( Lijiang )