The texture and flavour of yuk gon is different from the strips and long sausage-shaped sticks of meat jerky you find in the United States, South Africa and elsewhere. While the other types are super-desiccated, chewy, savoury and smoky, Chinese meat jerky is pliable, slightly moist and sweet-savoury, tasting much like char siu (barbecued pork) - in fact, a similar marinade is used.

The most popular meat for yuk gon is pork, then beef, while chicken comes in a distant third. With pork and beef, the best jerky is made by cutting off large, thin slices of meat, which are then marinated in soy sauce, maltose (or honey), rice wine and other seasonings. The meat is air-dried to remove much of the moisture, then grilled. It's expensive because the moisture loss means you end up with about a third of the amount there was at the start of the process. My favourite version of this is made from the belly of the pig, so the meat is layered with fat. A less expensive jerky - called 'golden coins' - is made by mincing the meat (pork, beef or chicken), shaping it into small, flat discs then seasoning, drying and cooking in the same way.

Other variations on yuk gon include vegetarian jerky (made from mushrooms), light, fluffy meat floss (which can also be made from various types of seafood), chilli flavoured and crisp meat jerky.