A méi qiú (coal briquette) is a small, round or oval-shaped block made by compressing coal dust and a binder—often clay or starch—to improve combustion efficiency and reduce smoke. The character 煤 means 'coal', indicating the primary material, while 球 means 'ball' or 'sphere', describing its typical rounded shape. Historically common in Chinese households before widespread gas or electric stoves, coal briquettes were burned in traditional luó luó (briquette stoves) for cooking and heating.

Though less common today in urban areas due to environmental policies and cleaner energy adoption, méi qiú remains in use in some rural homes, street food stalls, and traditional workshops. It carries cultural associations with frugality, resourcefulness, and older domestic life—and sometimes appears metaphorically or nostalgically in literature and film. Unlike raw coal lumps (méi kuài), briquettes burn more evenly and produce less ash, making them practical for small-scale, controlled heating.