Five-Spice Potatoes and Chinese Bacon

This dish is a Hakka version of meat and potatoes. Although Popo used arrowhead (ci gu) on the day when we found it by the irrigation ditch, she typically used readily available potatoes. Arrowhead, a bulb that resembles a tan-colored fresh water chestnut, has a crunchier texture than potatoes and a slightly bitter finish. You can sometimes find it in Asian markets, usually in the winter. In my attempts to recreate this dish, I found that I prefer potatoes. Maybe it’