Pork belly is one of the most beloved ingredients in Asian cuisine. Thanks to its high fat content and layers of meat, it becomes incredibly tender, juicy, and aromatic when cooked for a long time. Asian countries masterfully use it to create dishes with deep, rich flavors and a desirable "melt-in-your-mouth" texture. 1. Dongpo Rou (China, especially Hangzhou) This is arguably one of the most famous pork belly dishes in Chinese cuisine. It's braised pork belly, cut into cubes, slowly cooked in a sauce made from soy sauce, yellow rice wine (huangjiu), sugar, and spices. The meat turns out incredibly tender, practically melting in your mouth, and the fat transforms into a jelly-like consistency. The dish is named after the famous poet Su Dongpo, who, according to legend, invented this recipe. 2. Kakuni (Japan) The Japanese equivalent of Dongpo Rou. This is slow-braised pork belly, marinated and stewed in a sweet and savory sauce based on soy sauce, mirin (sweet rice wine), sake, and sugar. Kakuni is often served with a boiled egg and daikon (white radish). The meat is cooked until it can be easily broken apart with chopsticks, and the fat becomes very soft and almost translucent. 3. Samgyeopsal (South Korea) This dish is the heart of Korean barbecue culture. Samgyeopsal consists of thick slices of boneless raw pork belly that are cooked directly on a grill at the table. The cooked pieces are typically wrapped in lettuce leaves with various side dishes (kimchi, garlic, green onions, mushrooms) and sauces (ssamjang – a spicy paste). Its simplicity and interactive nature make it extremely popular. 4. Siu Yuk (Hong Kong/Cantonese Cuisine) This is crispy roasted pork belly. The secret to this dish lies in a multi-stage preparation: first, the pork belly is marinated, then its skin is pricked and dried, after which it's slowly roasted to an incredibly crispy crackling. The meat inside remains juicy. It's a refined delicacy often served as a standalone dish or with rice. 5. Thịt kho tàu (Vietnam) This is a traditional Vietnamese dish that translates to "braised meat in a clay pot." It features pieces of pork belly (sometimes with added boiled eggs) stewed in caramelized sugar, coconut water, and fish sauce. This gives the dish a unique sweet and savory flavor with a slight kick and a deep brown color. The meat becomes very tender. 6. Babi Guling (Indonesia, especially Bali) While this refers to a whole roasted pig, the pork belly from this dish is one of the most prized parts. It's cooked with incredibly crispy skin and aromatic meat, marinated with numerous spices (turmeric, ginger, garlic, chili, etc.). These dishes demonstrate how Asian culinary traditions transform a relatively simple ingredient into masterpieces of flavor and texture, utilizing various stewing, frying, and marinating techniques.