Lou wei is the name given to dishes made by simmering in a sauce known as lou (滷汁). Lou is a soy

Soy sauce

Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...

-based sauce flavored with spices. Like barbecue sauce

Barbecue sauce

Barbecue sauce is a flavoring sauce or condiment ranging from watery to very thick consistency. As the name implies, it was created as an accompaniment to barbecued foods. While it can be applied to any food, it usually tops meat after cooking or during barbecuing, grilling, or baking...

 in the US, there are many local varieties with different spices added to it. It is not unusual for ingredients to a lou sauce be a closely guarded secret. However, most lou sauces include Chinese star anise (八角), dried orange peel

Orange (fruit)

An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....

 (陳皮), cinnamon

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...

 (玉桂), cardamom

Cardamom

Cardamom refers to several plants of the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to India and Bhutan; they are recognised by their small seed pod, triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, with a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds...

 (荳蔻), and fennel

Fennel

Fennel is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum . It is a member of the family Apiaceae . It is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves...

 小茴香.

Lou wei can be made from meat or from internal organs, entrails and left-over parts

Offal

Offal , also called, especially in the United States, variety meats or organ meats, refers to the internal organs and entrails of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, which varies by culture and region, but includes most internal organs other than...

. The most common varieties are beef

Beef

Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...

, pork

Pork

Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....

, duck

Duck

Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...

 and chicken

Chicken

The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...

. Originating in Southern China, it is a core part of chiu chow cuisine and it is widely available in China and Taiwan with many regional varieties. Selections vary greatly among overseas Chinatown

Chinatown

A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...

s, often depending on the immigrant mix.

Lou wei can be served cold or hot. Cold lou wei is often served with a side of hot lou sauce for immediate mixing. Hot lou wei is often served directly from the pot of lou sauce.

Varieties

Common varieties include:

• Duck/goose meat (鴨片/鵝片)
• Chicken wings (雞翼)
• Tofu (豆腐)
• Pig's ear
  Pig's ear (food)
  Pig's ear, as food for human consumption, is literally the cooked ear of pig. It is found in a number of cuisines around the world.-Chinese cuisine:-General:...
  
  (豬耳)
• Steamed fish intestines (蒸魚腸)
• Stir-fried fish intestines (炒魚腸)
• Beef entrails (牛雜)
• Beef brisket (牛腩)
• Duck gizzard (鴨腎)
• Pig tongue (豬脷)
• Pig's blood (豬血糕)
• Kelp (海帶)