Zhuhai Sugarcane Field Rats

Zhuhai Sugarcane Field Rats

　　Zhuhai Sugarcane Field Rats

　　Sugarcane field rats, also known as sugarcane rats, possess high medicinal value. With a sweet and cool nature, they nourish yin, clear deficient heat, and benefit the liver and kidneys—making them a dietary remedy suitable for all ages. Hence, they are praised as “one rat equals three chickens.” These rodents are a specialty of the Zhuhai area and are as renowned as the larks from Sanshui City. Sugarcane field rats are mostly found in the sugarcane-growing regions of Xiaolin and Qianwu, Wushan, and Pingsha in Doumen. They feed exclusively on sugarcane, growing up to over two catties (about one kilogram) in weight, and come in two varieties: black-furred and yellow-furred. When the cold winds begin to blow and the sugarcane harvest season arrives, the rats become particularly plump. Due to their long-term diet of sugarcane, minimal digestion, rich sweetness, and the fact that they live in shaded areas and are well-fed all day, their meat is especially sweet, tender, and smooth, with bones soft as pastry. As a result, villagers often catch them, cure and sun-dry them into rat jerky as a preserved meat, while local restaurants use them to stir-fry, bake, braise, steam, red-cook, prepare in hot pot, or cook into soups to create various “rat dishes.” A common dish is “Black Bean Stewed Sugarcane Rat,” which is deliciously aromatic, smooth, and endlessly flavorful.