Kuai (dish) meat in large thin pieces in the manner of carpaccio, however the term "kuai" was used to refer to this method. "Kuai" is the preferred preparation of raw beef and lamb, or fish such as the carp, while meat from wild deer and boar were prepared as "xuan". Thinness in the slices or strips was an important factor for judging the quality of the dish. During the Zhou dynasty and the Warring States period, "kuai" made from all fauna were widely consumed. During the time of the Qin (221–206 BC) and Han (206 BC–220 AD) dynasties, "kuai" made from the
Meat pie the modern day crust began to be used. Missionaries and explorers spread the meat-based pie dish across the globe. The English Pilgrims of the North American colonies brought the recipes across the ocean with them. The crust of the pie was useful to preserve food during the long winter months in America (just as the pies were used in antiquity). But the pie was not considered popular there until the 1800s, and today meat pies have lost their popularity to be replaced with sweet pies. The Natchitoches meat pie is one of the official state foods of the US state