Kao Ru Zhu (Cantonese Roast Suckling Pig)
Absolutely essential for weddings! Grilled Little Piglet Like Ruby
Description
The ultimate premium roast mandatory at celebrations in Guangdong/HK. A whole suckling pig is rubbed with spices, glazed with maltose, and rotated over open charcoal fire until the skin becomes shatteringly crisp like glass (Cui Pi).
Restaurants serving Kao Ru Zhu (Cantonese Roast Suckling Pig)
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The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Whole suckling pig
- Maltose syrup
- White vinegar
- Five-Spice
- Peanut oil
- Salt
- Sugar
- Hoisin sauce
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- Butterfly a suckling pig and lay flat.
- Rub meat side with salt, sugar, Five-Spice, and Hoisin sauce. Keep skin clean.
- Blanch skin, brush with maltose syrup, and hang to dry.
- Secure the pig on a massive fork.
- Roast over charcoal, rotating continuously by hand.
- Brush skin with oil while roasting until it micro-blisters (Zhi Ma Pi) and glows ruby-red.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Meat infused with Five-Spice and the sweetness of maltose-caramelized skin
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Use JP pork belly block and roast in oven until skin is crispy
Pairing
Premium Shaoxing Wine / Jasmine Tea
Trivia
[Trivia] In Cantonese tradition, red is auspicious. A whole roast pig with flashing red eyes paraded at weddings is a legendary scene. The version where only the skin is eaten (Hua Pi) is considered the most elite.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] The value is 90% in the skin. The artisan carves the crispy skin. Dip purely into white sugar or sweet bean sauce. The skin shatters like glass, and the pure fat melts juicily. Overwhelming euphoria.
Allergen
Pork, Soybeans, Wheat