Guangdong/Cantonese tradition — la yue (winter preserving) is pan-Chinese but Cantonese lap mei is most celebrated
Lap mei / la wei: the preserved meats of the 12th lunar month (la yue). Pork belly, duck, sausages, and wind-dried meats prepared during the coldest months when air-drying is safe. Lap cheong (Chinese sausage), lap yuk (air-dried pork belly), lap ap (air-dried duck) are the trinity. Used to flavour clay pot rice, steam with lotus leaf, or slice as an appetiser.
Intensely savoury, sweet-salty, concentrated pork flavour with slight fermented complexity
{"Cold, dry, well-ventilated conditions are essential for safety","Salt and soy marinade, then air-dry in cold wind for 2–3 weeks","Smoking optional (Hunan smoked pork is a regional variant)","All preserved meats must be steamed or cooked thoroughly before eating"}
{"Lap cheong (sweet sausage) can be bought year-round; homemade version made only in winter","Clay pot rice with lap mei: place over precooked rice in clay pot, steam until fragrant","Slice thinly and steam with ginger and spring onion as a first course"}
{"Attempting in warm conditions — humidity causes mould and spoilage","Under-salting — insufficient salt to inhibit bacteria during drying","Not allowing adequate airflow — meats must hang with space between them"}
Land of Fish and Rice — Fuchsia Dunlop