Rou Yan (Meat Swallow)

Rou yan, also called 'flat meat swallow,' is defined by its wrapper: lean pork from the hind leg is pounded into a paste, blended with sweet-potato starch and rolled into a thin sheet, then folded around a meat filling. It resembles a wonton but is far chewier, and takes its name from its swallow-like shape.

Rou yan is a traditional snack unique to Fuzhou, long served at weddings and festivals as an auspicious food signifying peace and reunion—often simmered with duck eggs as taiping yan, the 'peace swallow.'

It is most often cooked in a clear broth, eaten on its own or paired with duck eggs as taiping yan, an essential bowl at any Fuzhou celebration.

Its essence is the meat-on-meat wrapper—springy, crisp to the bite and holding firm in broth—which distinguishes rou yan from an ordinary wonton.