Pig's ear, as food for human consumption, is literally the cooked ear of pig served as a pork offal dish. It is found in a number of cuisines around the world.
In Chinese cuisine, pig's ear is often an appetizer or a side dish, called 豬耳朵 (zhū ěr duo). Pig's ear can be abbreviated in Chinese to simply 豬耳. In some regions, pig's ears are known as 层层脆 (ceng ceng cui, literally layers of crunch). It can be first boiled or stewed, and then sliced thin, served with soy sauce or spiced with chili paste. When cooked, the outer texture is gelatinous, akin to tofu, and the center cartilage is crunchy. Pig's ear can be eaten warm or cold.
In Cantonese cuisine, it is another ingredient used in lou mei. The emphasis is on using all edible parts of the pig. Pigs' ears (and lou mei in general) are not considered as delicacies.
