‘Féi ròu’ literally combines ‘féi’ (fat, fatty) and ‘ròu’ (meat), referring specifically to cuts of meat with a high proportion of visible fat—such as pork belly, beef brisket fat cap, or chicken skin. It is a concrete, neutral noun used in everyday food contexts, especially when discussing cooking, nutrition, or butchery. Unlike the more clinical term ‘zhīfáng’ (adipose tissue), ‘féi ròu’ is colloquial and sensory—it evokes texture, appearance, and taste.

This word appears frequently in markets, recipes, and health discussions: vendors may separate ‘féi ròu’ from lean meat; cooks render it for flavor; and nutritionists warn against excessive consumption. While not inherently negative, it often carries subtle connotations of indulgence or unhealthiness in modern dietary discourse—especially contrasted with ‘shòu ròu’ (lean meat). It’s rarely used metaphorically and almost never for human body fat, which uses terms like ‘zhīfáng’ or ‘féi pàng’.