Marinated Goose

Marinated Goose

　　Marinated Goose    Source: Chaozhou

    Honoring ancestors on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve is one of the Chaozhou people’s Lunar New Year traditions, and among the ancestral offering dishes, marinated goose holds a place of great importance. It’s important to know that marinated meats are a specialty of the Chaoshan people, and they are never omitted during the New Year celebrations. They typically use high-quality Lion Head Geese,

    which have grayish-brown or silvery-gray feathers with white feathers on the belly. They have large heads and small eyes, with prominent black wattles on the top and sides of the head. These fleshy growths can grow larger as the geese age, resembling lion heads—hence the name “Lion Head Goose.” Adult male geese usually weigh between 10–12 kilograms, making them quite substantial.

    In the past, Chaozhou people would make this dish at home by opening up the cleaned and dried goose, rubbing it inside and out with refined salt, and inserting a bamboo stick into the cavity. Then, they would stir-fry Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant and bundle them together with star anise, cinnamon, licorice, and cloves in a piece of cheesecloth to form a sachet, which was placed in the marinade basin. Soy sauce, brown sugar, galangal, mango slices, and liquor were added, followed by water. Garlic, coriander roots, and galangal were placed inside the cavity of the goose. The marinade was brought to a boil over medium heat, after which the goose was added. It was then simmered for about one hour and thirty minutes, with the goose turned several times during cooking. Midway, the goose was lifted out of the broth and then returned, repeated four times, to enhance flavor absorption. Finally, the goose was taken out, cooled, and sliced thickly on a cutting board, drizzled with the marinade, garnished with coriander, and served with a side of garlic vinegar dip.

    Nowadays, few Chaozhou people go through such a complicated process of making marinated goose at home. Instead, they buy it ready-made from markets, yet it still retains that authentic flavor. It remains a highlight dish at year’s end, with the rich aroma of the marinade filling the ancestral worship hall, symbolizing the solemnity of welcoming the new year.