Siu mei is the generic name, in Cantonese cuisine, given to meats roasted on spits over an open fire or a huge wood burning rotisserie oven. It creates a unique, deep barbecue flavor that is usually enhanced by a flavorful sauce (a different sauce is used for each meat). Shops selling these meats are commonly found in Chinese-speaking regions in East and Southeast Asia.
When "siu mei" is used as a loose term, it generally means "an order of barbecued meat".
Preparation
Usually meat of this type is purchased as take-out as siu mei takes a great deal of resources to prepare, and few families in Hong Kong or China have the equipment for it. It is also a staple item in typical Cantonese restaurants. Shops generally have large ovens and rotisserie-like utilities for rotating the meat. Families order or prepare their own plain white rice to accompany the siu mei. A siu mei meal usually consists of one box comprising half meat and half rice. It should be noted that certain dishes such as orange cuttlefish or white cut chicken are not roasted at all, but are often prepared and sold alongside BBQ roasted meats in siu mei establishments, hence they are generally classified as siu mei dishes.
Although siu mei originated in Cantonese cuisine, several siu mei dishes are readily available in overseas Chinatown communities, and even in American Chinese cuisine.
