Roasted pork, also known as siu mei, is a branch of Cantonese cuisine in which ingredients are usually prepared in four ways: roasted, marinated, waxed and smoked. Although it originated in Guangdong, it is also very popular in Hong Kong, Macau and South China. In the old days, barbecued food was not cheap, and only on festive occasions or when guests came to the house would they go to the barbecue stalls to "cut the ingredients and add the food". With the affluence of life, it has become a common practice for Hong Kong people to "cut the ingredients, cut the ingredients, cut the old barbecue pork. I want all kinds of chicken and lo mein, chopped old barbecue pork." This music from a TV commercial in the 80s reflected the popularity of siu mei in the streets of Hong Kong at that time. In the old days, yakitori was mostly cooked in charcoal cookers, and ingredients cooked in charcoal tasted better than those cooked in gas or electric cookers because of the natural smell of the wood during the cooking process, which gave them a light charcoal flavour. Unfortunately, charcoal grill licences have not been granted since the 1980s due to fire and safety regulations. Nowadays, there are only a few traditional wood-fired restaurants left in Hong Kong and they are almost extinct.
