prepared meat, food
餚 centers on food that has been prepared, especially cooked meat. It refers to dishes or provisions that are ready to eat.
餚 combines 飠 (food) with 肴 (side dish, meat), forming a character that emphasizes prepared food, especially meat dishes. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the component relationship is clear.
The left side 飠 is the food radical, and the right side 肴 means a side dish or meat. Together they picture a prepared meat dish: food that is ready to serve.
For コウ, imagine a cook preparing a delicious meat dish and calling out 'コウ (kō)!' when it's ready. The cook's call cues the reading while the food is being prepared.