{{short description|Dried meat product from China}} {{Infobox prepared food | image = Fragrance Pork Floss.jpg | caption = A dish of meat floss made from pork, served with rice | alternate_name = Meat wool, pork floss, flossy pork, meat cotton candy or pork sung | country = China<ref name=grigson /> | region = East Asia and Southeast Asia | associated_cuisine = Cambodian, Chinese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Singaporean, Taiwanese, Thai and Vietnamese | main_ingredient = Pork, beef, or chicken }} {{Infobox Chinese | s = 肉松 | t = 肉鬆 | l = meat fluff, meat flakes | p = ròusōng | mi = {{IPAc-cmn|r|ou|4|s|ong|1}} | wuu = {{IPA|wuu|ɲiɔʔ soŋ|}} | y = yuhk-sūng | altname = Southern Min name | c2 = 肉拊 | l2 = processed meat; rubbed / broken-down meat | poj2 = bah-hú | tl2 = bah-hú | altname3 = Southern Min name (Tainan) | c3 = 肉酥 | l3 = meat flakes, meat crisps | poj3 = bah-so· | tl3 = bah-soo | altname4 = Eastern Min name | s4 = 肉绒 | t4 = 肉絨 | l4 = (fine) meat wool, fine meat floss (embroidery silk); meat down feathers (or fine hair); meat velvet, fine meat fabric | buc4 = nṳ̆k-ṳ̀ng | vie = ruốc {{noitalics|(Northern Vietnamese)}}<br>chà bông {{noitalics|(Southern Vietnamese)}} | khm = សាច់ជ្រូកផាត់ sach chruok phat | tha = หมูหย็อง | rtgs = mu yong | ind = abon | tgl = mahu {{noitalics|or}} masang | msa = serondeng | j = juk6 sung1 | altname5 = Hakka name | c5 = 肉麩 | l5 = meat wheat bran; meat gluten | h5 = ngiug fu }}
'''Meat floss''', also known as '''''yuk sung''''' or '''''rousong''''' ({{zh|t=肉鬆|j=juk6 sung1|p =ròusōng}} ; Mandarin Chinese: {{IPAc-cmn|r|ou|4|s|ong|1}}), is a dried meat product of Chinese origin, with a light and fluffy texture similar to coarse cotton.<ref name="grigson">{{citation|title=World Atlas of Food |first=Jane |last=Grigson|publisher=Bookthrift Company |date=January 1985 |isbn=978-0-671-07211-7}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last1=Dikeman |first1=Michael |title=Encyclopedia of Meat Sciences Volume 1 |last2=Devine |first2=Carrick |date=2014 |publisher=Elsevier/Academic Press |isbn=978-0-12-384734-8 |edition=2nd |location=Amsterdam |pages=524}}</ref> It is more commonly known as '''''bak hu''''' (Hokkien: 肉拊, Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bah-hú) in Hokkien-influenced regions, such as Southeast Asia and Taiwan.<ref name="chimbridge">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Chimbridge Singlish Dictionary of Singlish & Singaporean Terminology |url=https://singlishdict.app/?q=bak%20hu}}</ref> Meat floss is golden in color with a distinctive flavor and sweet taste that is somewhat comparable to beef jerky.<ref name=":1" />
==Production and styles== Meat floss is made by stewing lean meat finely cut along the grain (pork, chicken or beef though other meats may be used) in a broth until the meat is very tender and individual muscle fibers can be teased apart.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Hui |first=Y. H. |url=https://www.google.com.hk/books/edition/Meat_Science_and_Applications/651Zv5hUzyIC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=meat+floss&pg=PA415&printsec=frontcover |title=Meat Science and Applications |last2=Nip |first2=Wai-Kit |last3=Rogers |first3=Robert |date=2001-07-27 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-0-203-90808-2 |language=en|pages=415}}</ref> This happens when the water-insoluble collagen that holds the muscle fibers of the meat together has been converted into water-soluble gelatine.<ref>Vickie Vaclavik, Elizabeth W. Christian. [https://books.google.com/books?id=DzMhwchiTMMC&pg=PA169 ''Essentials of Food Science'']. Springer, 2003, p. 169.</ref> The meat is then separated from the broth and shredded into fibrous strips. It is then added back into the broth which is enriched with soy sauce, sugar, fennel, ginger, rice wine or other ingredients.<ref name=":1" /> The mixture is then cooked at low heat and stirred continuously until the floss is dried.<ref name=":0" />
There are different regional styles of meat floss, which differ in whether oil is added during the last process of production. Jiangsu style ''rousong'' is dry-cooked and the product is slightly chewy, while Fujian style ''bak hu'' is fried with oil and the product is mildly crispy. {{convert|5|kg|lb|0|spell=In}} of meat will usually yield about {{convert|1|kg|spell=in}} of floss.<ref>Melia, Ken (2017). ''Review of Meat Floss – Identifying opportunities for Australian Red Meat''. North Sydney: Meat and Livestock Australia Limited</ref>
Taiwanese pork floss is made by cutting pork along the muscle fibers then boiling it for around 80 minutes to reduce moisture and soften collagen.<ref name=":0" /> The meat is then pressed into a paddle to loosen fibers, then transferred to a gas-fired frypan with mechanical scrapers to aid in drying and reducing the meat into long fibers.<ref name=":0" /> Sucrose, dehydrated starch and salt is then added at a specific time and ratio to enhance flavor and texture without hindering moisture removal. Once the desired consistency and dryness is obtained, the floss is stored briefly at room temperature and reheated in the scraping-frypan.<ref name=":0" />
==Variations== {{Chinese cuisine}} Fish can also be made into floss (魚鬆; ''yú sōng''), though initial stewing is not required due to the low collagen and elastin content of fish meat. Rabbit and duck floss can also be found in China.<ref>Zhou, Zhen (2017). "Research of new duck floss with spicy flavor" ''Food and Fermentation Technology'': 120–125 – via Food Science and Technology Abstracts.</ref><ref>Leistner, Lothar (2002). ''Hurdle Technologies: Combination Treatments for Food Stability, Safety and Quality''. New York: Kluwer / Plenum Publishers. pp. 132, 139. {{ISBN|978-1-4613-5220-4}}.</ref>
In Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia, beef or chicken floss is the most popular variant, commonly called ''abon'' in Indonesian and ''serunding'' (also spelled ''serondeng'') in Malay. In Malaysia, ''serunding'' is often served during Ramadan and Eid.<ref>Thestar.com. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20080923050546/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2008%2F9%2F20%2Fnation%2F2067208&sec=nation Thestar.com]." ''Mum’s meat floss legacy.'' Retrieved on 2008-09-19.</ref>
In Nigeria, beef, goat or other meats are processed into a similar meat floss called dambu nama.
<gallery mode="packed"> File:Abon sapi.JPG|A bowl of beef floss File:Fish floss.JPG|Fish floss is roasted to look similar to ''yuk sung.'' File:Indonesian beef floss.jpg|Beef floss vendor in Sulawesi, Indonesia File:HK CWB Yee Wo Street 大班麵包西餅 TaiPan bakery breads 肉鬆包 Sept-2013.JPG|Meat floss buns from Hong Kong </gallery>
==Health effects== A study has demonstrated a positive correlation between increased processing temperatures of meat floss and increased formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) within the meat. Up to seven different HAAs were found when meat floss was processed at {{Convert|150|C}}.<ref>Liao, Guozhou (April 2009). "Effects of Cooked Temperatures and Addition of Antioxidants on Formation of Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines in Pork Floss". ''Journal of Food Processing and Preservation''. '''33''': 159–175. {{doi|10.1111/j.1745-4549.2008.00239.x}} – via Web of Science.</ref> HAAs are formed in meats that are cooked to the "well done" stage, and are believed to promote the development of some cancers.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Weisburger |first=John H. |date=2002-09-30 |title=Comments on the history and importance of aromatic and heterocyclic amines in public health |journal=Mutation Research |volume=506-507 |pages=9–20 |issn=0027-5107 |pmid=12351140 |doi=10.1016/s0027-5107(02)00147-1 |bibcode=2002MRFMM.506....9W}}</ref>
==See also== * Dambu nama – Spiced shredded meat floss from Northern Nigeria * {{annotated link|Bakkwa}} * {{annotated link|Čvarci}} * {{annotated link|Dried shredded squid}} * {{annotated link|Katsuobushi|''Katsuobushi''}} * {{annotated link|Machaca}} * {{annotated link|Pemmican}} * {{annotated link|Pulled pork}} * {{annotated link|Serundeng}} * {{portal-inline|Food}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category-inline}}
Category:Cambodian cuisine Category:Chinese cuisine Category:dried meat Category:Hong Kong cuisine Category:Indonesian cuisine Category:Macanese cuisine Category:Malaysian meat dishes Category:Pork dishes Category:Singaporean meat dishes Category:Taiwanese meat dishes Category:Vietnamese cuisine