At a glance, Chinese pork strips look like bacon. Upon close examination they still look like bacon, albeit in long strips having an inch-square cross section. One difference is that they are very well cured, so well preserved that Asian markets may have a box of the strips left at room temperature like so much kindling. The flavor is distinct, with sweet spices along with allure of redundant pork fat. What more could a person want?

The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in China and East Asia in the middle of the eighth lunar month. That is usually the full moon in late September or early October on the Western calendar. This year it is October 3. A moon cake is necessary for a proper celebration. Asian Markets are well stocked for the occasion. The preparation of a moon cake is elaborate, so they are not usually made at home.

Walk through any Chinatown and you will see shops with roasted ducks, and other things, on display in the front window. What are the “other things”? And are they any good? To answer the second question, they are very good indeed. As to what they are, welcome to Chinatown Window 101.