Dried Jerky · FFET10414
Meat floss (rousong)
Lean meat is cooked until tender, shredded and stirred until dry to make floss served with congee or buns.
Air-dried and heat-dried meats such as beef jerky and rou fu.
Meat floss consists of fine, dry strands made from lean pork, fish or chicken and can be served with congee or buns. The meat is cooked until tender, shredded, then stirred over low heat with soy sauce, sugar and seasonings until dry. Jiangsu-style floss is dry-cooked and slightly chewy, while the Fujian style is fried and crisp.
What
Meat floss, also called rourong or rousu, is a food made by processing lean pork, fish or chicken into fine, dry strands.2
When
An encyclopedia account credits Ni De with creating Taicang meat floss in 1874 and opening a shop in 1876. It refers to a Qing-era Taicang gazetteer, but the cited original text has not been verified. These years do not establish when meat floss as a whole originated.1
Where
Taicang meat floss is associated with Taicang in Suzhou, Jiangsu. Jiangsu and Fujian have different styles: the Jiangsu style is dry-cooked, while the Fujian style is fried.1,3
How
Lean meat is cut along the grain, cooked until tender and shredded. Soy sauce, sugar and seasonings are added, and the meat is stirred over low heat until dry. The finished floss can be served with congee or buns.2,3
Why
Meat floss has a dry, light, fibrous texture. Preparation affects its bite: the Jiangsu style is slightly chewy, while the Fujian style is crisper.2,3
Impact and influence
An encyclopedia account states that the craft of making Taicang meat floss entered the third batch of Jiangsu's provincial intangible cultural heritage list in 2011. This claim has not been verified against an official notice and concerns the production craft.1