Chinese Sausage (Lap Cheong)

Chinese sausages (aka lap cheong) are air-cured sausages that are often made of pork but can be made of chicken or an assortment of livers.

Chinese sausages (aka lap cheong) are a staple in most Chinese households.

They are mildly sweet, have an aromatic flavor of rice wine, and are most commonly used in Chinese cuisines.

Lap cheong is also a very firm sausage (similar to the texture of a salami). This texture is mainly because of its air-curing process but once they have been cooked, they will have a softer more pliable texture.

They are quite versatile as they can be used in almost any kind of dish from stir-fries to steamed dishes.

They are very commonly steamed with white rice and eaten as-is, added to fried rice, or added stir-fried in sticky rice dishes like Lo Mai Fan (Chinese sticky rice). They also are delicious when they are added to stir-frys with vegetables as well.

They taste best when they are toasted with a bit of oil, which concentrates the flavors and renders out the fat.

Everyone has a different preference when it comes to Chinese sausage. Some like it sweeter, some like them fattier for more flavor, and some like it a bit leaner to keep things healthy - they come both fatty and lean but to find which one is which is best suited to you, you should try all the different kinds of brands and until you find your favorite type.

Where to Buy Chinese Sausage

You can find Chinese sausages at any Chinese grocery store.

They are most commonly found in the refrigerator pre-packaged, although they can also be occasionally found hanging around individually on strings (not packaged) and sold individually as well.

If they are found hanging on strings, they will usually provide scissors around the area for you to clip the strings they are hanging from.

How to Store It

Chinese sausages last quite a long time when stored in the refrigerator but if you don't plan to use them often, you can also store them in the freezer as well and pull out what you need, when you need them.

When you are storing them, keep them well sealed in a ziploc bag with the air removed so that it doesn't absorb the smells and flavors from the refrigerator or freezer.

Recipes that Use Chinese Sausage

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