The word 火腿 (huǒtuǐ, "ham") is formed through a direct and vivid conceptual combination: 火 (huǒ) means "fire", referring to the traditional method of preserving and flavoring the meat by smoking or curing it with heat and smoke, while 腿 (tuǐ) means "leg", specifying the part of the animal, the hind leg of a pig, from which the meat is taken. Together, they create the image of a "fire leg", a succinct description of a cured, smoked pork leg, which is the essential definition of ham.