Stewed pork with taro (香芋扣肉/Xiangyu Kourou)

Stewed pork with taro is a traditional dish in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and favored by people of all ages. [Photo/gxnews.com.cn]

Stewed pork with taro is the most common dish for the traditional Chinese New Year's Eve dinner in Guangxi. The traditional dish is very specific about its ingredients and preparation. The taro is usually produced from Lipu county in Guilin, and is big in size, rich in nutrition, and unique in flavor.

The pork belly should first be cut into pieces with holes, which can be easily cured. The pork is deep-fried in hot oil until it changes color to a golden yellow, and then thick slices of taro are placed. The deep-fried pork along with the taro pieces should be arranged alternatingly into a bowl, and steamed for an hour with light soy sauce and fermented bean curd. The dish has a flavor that is soft and waxy, sweet and salty, and has long been a must-eat delicacy during traditional holidays and festival celebrations in Guangxi.