Du Family Donkey Meat

Du Family Donkey Meat

　　As the saying goes, “Dragon meat in the heavens, donkey meat on earth.” Donkey meat is regarded as a delicacy among meats. It is said that Empress Dowager Cixi loved to eat donkey meat. The imperial palace had special chefs dedicated to cooking donkey meat, and she often summoned renowned donkey meat artisans from across the country to present their offerings to satisfy her taste. It is said that at the time, “Du Family Donkey Meat” from Duoshibridge was a tribute item.

　　The inheritor of “Du Family Donkey Meat,” Du Shanping, is in his forties. He started cooking and selling donkey meat on Duoshibridge Street when he was just seventeen or eighteen. Du Shanping’s great-grandfather was named Du Ruiwu. Du Ruiwu’s father was a seventh-rank official during the Qing Dynasty. Later, he resigned from his post and returned to his hometown of Duoshibridge. Without a salary or any trade, life became extremely difficult—he often went without meals and could barely afford clothes. As the saying goes, “A thin horse has long, drooping mane; a penniless man loses all dignity.” With no other options, he set up three simple sheds west of the West Bridge on Duoshibridge and sold tea, but still struggled to make ends meet. During his time as an official, Du Ruiwu’s father had made friends with another seventh-rank county magistrate. One day, this friend came to visit and, seeing how poorly his old friend was living, shook his head in sorrow and lamented that he shouldn’t have quit his post. Out of sympathy, he suddenly remembered he had kept a secret recipe for cooking donkey meat. Noticing that there were many donkey breeders in Duoshibridge, he decided to share the recipe and helped his friend start a donkey meat business, naming it “Du Family Donkey Meat.”

　　With its unique recipe and exceptional flavor, “Du Family Donkey Meat” quickly became a local specialty and was later selected as a tribute item.

　　The business flourished, and by the time Du Ruiwu took over, the family had become quite wealthy, known as one of the richer households in the area. However, Du Ruiwu remembered his father’s teaching: “Live frugally, for only those who are careful with money can become prosperous.” He lived a simple life, wore plain and even patched clothes, and ate plain food—just enough to fill his stomach.

　　One day, a group of Henan merchants transporting ox muzzles to the northeast stopped in Duoshibridge to eat and rest. They saw an old man in tattered clothes picking up sesame seeds that had fallen from their flatbreads. This old man was Du Ruiwu. When the merchants mocked him, he said, “It’s not that I covet your sesame seeds, but I hate to see you waste them. Every grain is earned through hard work.” Then he asked, “Are you selling those ox muzzles?”

　　The Henan merchants scoffed, “You’re so poor, how could you afford them?” Du Ruiwu replied, “I have plenty of oxen—I bet I have more oxen than you have ox muzzles.” The merchants didn’t believe him: “If that’s true, we’ll just give you all these ox muzzles.” Du Ruiwu had people lead out the oxen one by one from the yard, fitting each with an ox muzzle. By the time all seven carts of muzzles were used up, the oxen just kept coming. Legend has it there might have been as many as ten thousand. Hence the saying “The Ten-Thousand-Ox Family Du.” Du Shanping says his great-grandfather Du Ruiwu did build a sizable fortune through the donkey meat business and raised many oxen, though certainly not as many as the legend claims.

　　Donkey meat is highly nutritious, believed to replenish qi and blood, and invigorate internal organs. It is said that regular consumption can promote blood circulation, clear blockages, and restore vitality, making it a common food among martial artists and performers. It is said that Duoshibridge had a tradition of martial arts, with former dojos and boxing schools where practitioners gathered to exchange skills. “Du Family Donkey Meat” spread far and wide along with these traveling performers.

　　Du Shanping’s father did not inherit the family craft of making “Du Family Donkey Meat.” Instead, the skill was passed down directly to Du Shanping by his grandparents. His grandmother once told him that after 1956, the state prohibited the slaughtering of large livestock, with a penalty of three years in prison for butchering a donkey—so no one dared to do it. In 1958, with the introduction of the “Three Red Banners” (the People’s Communes, egalitarianism, and communal dining), people lived collectively. Horses, cattle, donkeys, and mules were essential labor and productivity assets. Every production brigade kept detailed records, almost like household registrations, of their livestock. Sick animals had to be reported to the commune and approved before being slaughtered. On top of that, the period was marked by constant political campaigns, social chaos, and widespread anxiety, leaving Du Shanping’s father with no interest in learning the trade.

　　Du Shanping began practicing this ancestral craft in 1986 and renamed “Du Family Donkey Meat” to “Ping’an Donkey Meat” (his childhood nickname was Ping’an, also symbolizing peace and health). There are two methods for cooking “Ping’an Donkey Meat.” One involves mixing traditional Chinese medicinal herbs in specific proportions and cooking them together with freshly slaughtered donkey meat. The other method drives live donkeys into a specially built lane, heats the lane continuously with fire until the donkeys sweat profusely and become thirsty, then lets them drink water mixed with medicinal herbs. After repeating this process several times, the active herbs seep into the donkeys’ bodies, turning them into “herbal-infused donkeys,” which are then slaughtered and cooked.

　　“Back then, buying donkeys was easy, but selling the meat was hard. Now, selling the meat is easy, but buying the donkeys is hard.” When he first started, there were many donkey breeders in the local area and surrounding towns, so donkeys were easy to come by—but selling the meat was tough. Very little was sold at each market because people’s living standards were low and they couldn’t afford it. Now, it’s the opposite. He doesn’t even bother with markets anymore; he slaughters several donkeys a day, and the meat still sells out. Many restaurants and supermarkets have to place orders four or five days in advance or they won’t get any. “Where do you source live donkeys from now?” “When there’s no water in the well, you have to look everywhere,” Du Shanping joked, then continued: “Because donkeys have long reproductive cycles, and fewer rural households raise them these days—there’s definitely no large-scale farming—the local supply of live donkeys is shrinking and can’t meet demand. Importing from donkey-producing regions like Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, or Liaoning incurs high transportation costs, significantly raising the price. So now, I mainly rely on brokers to connect me with local donkey sellers in surrounding counties. The broker arranges a deal, calls me, and I go check the animals myself.” “Wouldn’t it be easier if they delivered?” “No way. Donkeys vary in fatness and leanness. How much you pay for one depends on how much usable meat it yields. You must inspect the animal in person to determine its value. A wrong judgment could mean a loss.” Over twenty years, Du Shanping has trained his eye to be sharper and more accurate than a scale. By feeling the donkey’s neck and ribs, he can estimate how much meat it will yield. After slaughter, the weight is always within one or two pounds of his estimate.

　　Every year during the May Day Agricultural Products Expo in Jinan, Du Shanping sets up an exhibition booth. He has participated for five or six years and has received praise from local consumers. During the expo, he sells several hundred pounds of meat daily. In 2007, Duoshibridge’s “Ping’an Donkey Meat” was named one of Jinan’s “Famous Local Specialties” and a retail point was established at Daguanyuan in Jinan.

　　“Ping’an Donkey Meat” carries on fine craftsmanship, gathering the best to offer delicious taste. Currently, there are dozens of donkey meat processors in Duoshibridge Town. Du Shanping hopes to work together with them to build an even stronger brand for “Duoshibridge Donkey Meat,” spreading its fragrance to every corner of the country.