Xiangyang Rolled Pork Trotter 襄阳缠蹄
Xiangyang Rolled Pork Trotter is featured among the local specialties of Hubei.
Image notes
Resized for the web; the photo itself has not been edited.
Xiangyang Rolled Pork Trotter (襄阳缠蹄), also called zati (扎蹄, "tied trotter"), is a boned pig's trotter from Xiangyang (襄阳) in Hubei that is cured with spiced salt, rolled in cloth, bound with grass cord and braised, then sliced and served with vinegar and chilli oil.
How it is made
The Hubei Chu Cuisine Research Institute (湖北楚菜研究院) at Hubei University of Economics publishes the method. Salt is heated in a dry wok over a low flame, then star anise powder, Sichuan pepper powder and thirteen-spice powder (十三香) are stirred in to make a five-spice salt. The trotter is boned, sprinkled with this salt, and rubbed with a little sugar, cooking wine and Erguotou (二锅头) liquor, then left to cure for four hours.
The cured trotter is rolled into a cylinder in a 30-centimetre square of clean gauze and wound tightly with thin cord twisted from dragon-beard grass (龙须草); chan (缠) in the dish's name means to wind or bind. It is hung to air for half a day, then put into a braising stock, brought to the boil over high heat and simmered over low heat for an hour. Once cooked and cooled, the grass cord and gauze are removed and the roll is sliced onto a plate.
Flavour and texture
The institute describes the finished slices as a glossy reddish colour, with lean and fat alternating, salty with a clear savoury depth, springy in texture and long in aftertaste. They are served with Xiangyang rice vinegar (襄阳米醋) and chilli oil.
More dishes to compare
Explore related local specialties and compare their names, preparation notes and ordering guidance.
Huangzhou Dongpo pork 黄州东坡肉 →
Another Hubei pork dish; the Xiangyang trotter is boned, bound into a roll, braised, cooled and sliced, and served with vinegar and chilli oil.
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and fact-checked against them on 2026-09-25. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.