Gushi Goose

Gushi Goose

　　The Gushi Goose is a distinctive local premium breed formed through long-term isolated breeding in and around Gushi County. It is known for its hardiness, strong adaptability, rapid growth, abundant down production, elegant appearance, delicious meat, savory broth, unique flavor, and high nutritional value. Adult male geese average 5.5 kilograms in weight, while females average 4.5 kilograms, with a plump build and predominantly pure white feathers. They can lay up to 70 eggs per year. In 2002, the Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China included the Gushi Goose in the *National Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources Protection List*. The Gushi Goose has a long history. According to the *Annals of Emperor Yang of Sui*, in the third month of the second year of the Dayang era, Emperor Yang of Sui visited Jiangdu, where a hundred performances were presented, and he hosted a banquet for his favorite concubine on the deck of the Red Ship. Among nearly a thousand delicacies, only Jinhua Ham and Gushi Goose were "swept clean" without a trace. The late Ming dynasty writer Xizhousheng vividly described how Ji Jie craved Gushi Goose during her pregnancy in *The Story of a Warning Marriage*: Ji Jie “felt dizzy, nauseous, drowsy, and exhausted. Her husband Di Xichen bought honeyed plums and Gushi Goose from Xingbu Street, which perfectly suited Ji Jie’s taste—like finding a new lease on life.” In the past, it was customary in Gushi County to cure the goose into preserved goose. Nowadays, there are over ten ways to prepare it, including roasted goose, braised goose, boiled preserved goose, goose feet stewed with soybeans, goose tongue served with chrysanthemum petals, creative goose intestine dishes, and even just the goose head... Among them, the most remarkable is the “Sweated Goose Pieces” (汗鹅块), which boasts a perfect combination of color, aroma, and taste, and has long been a signature dish served to honored guests in Gushi.