Xilao (Cured Meat)

Xilao (Cured Meat)

　　The Amis people call cured meat “Xilao.” Any leftover fish, fish roe, game meat, or animal offal is preserved through curing. The preparation process involves rubbing salt on the meat and kneading it in. After a few days, it is placed in a clay jar, some millet wine is poured in, and it is sealed for a month before being taken out to eat. It is said that those pieces that have decayed and bred maggots are considered the finest quality of Xilao. (Hualien County)