Grilled Wild Pheasant

Grilled Wild Pheasant

　　The grilled wild pheasant popular in the Meijiang area is roasted over firewood or charcoal, seasoned with snow salt, minced ginger, pepper ash, chili powder, and more, resulting in an exceptionally delicious, tender, and fragrant taste. Meijiang is a natural zoo, where wild pheasants are especially abundant.

　　　　Legend has it that a hunter once went hunting on Zhurong Peak and spent the entire day catching only a wild pheasant. By evening, due to the mischief of a road-blocking spirit, the hunter couldn’t find his way back. He had no choice but to spend the night on a small flat area atop Zhurong Peak. The hunter built a bonfire to ward off the cold, and soon felt hungry, so he placed the wild pheasant over the fire to roast. Just as it became fragrant and delicious, a scholar dressed in white suddenly approached. The scholar walked up to the fire, took the pheasant from the hunter’s hands, and began to eat it. When the hunter was about to get angry, the scholar tore half of it and gave it back to the hunter, saying, “Share half, eat half, or you’ll have no way home,” before walking away. At that moment, the hunter clearly saw the path leading back to his home. From then on, hunters in the Meijiang area developed the habit of bringing grilled wild pheasant when going out or roasting wild pheasant in the mountains.