Guiping Dog Meat

Guiping Dog Meat

　　Guiping locals have long had the custom of eating dog meat. In the old days, there were dog meat ponds in the county town and a dog bridge outside the city. In recent years, among the various ready-to-eat food stalls in Guiping, dog meat has been the most popular. At Guiping restaurants and major taverns, you can also enjoy a variety of uniquely flavored dog meat dishes. Locals prepare dog meat in many ways, with different styles and flavors. Some methods include red braising, red stewing, clear stewing, white slicing, or braising raw. Small stalls and eateries often serve customers dog meat hot pot.

　　[Nutritional Value]

　　Dog meat is delicious and highly nutritious, containing large amounts of protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, making it very valuable as food.

　　Not only is dog meat delicious and nutritious, but it also has medicinal properties that can help treat illnesses. Dog meat tastes sweet, salty, and slightly sour, and is warm in nature. It helps tonify the middle energizer and boost qi, as well as warm the kidneys and invigorate yang. The *Universal Relief Prescriptions* states that “those suffering from prolonged severe illness and great deficiency will feel lighter and gain vitality and strength after consuming it.” The *Compendium of Materia Medica* records that dog meat can nourish blood and qi, specifically acting on the spleen and kidney meridians to instantly warm the stomach, dispel cold, and ‘nourish kidney and invigorate yang.’ Consuming it can lead to abundant qi and blood, with all meridians energized. Therefore, traditional Chinese medicine has long regarded dog meat as an effective medicinal ingredient, beneficial for nourishing kidney, enriching essence, warming the body, and invigorating yang. There is a local saying in Guiping: “Dog meat boiled three times, and even immortals can’t stay still.” Modern medical research shows that dog meat contains small amounts of rare elements, which are somewhat beneficial for treating ischemic heart and brain diseases and regulating high blood pressure. Dog meat can also be used for elderly people’s weakness symptoms such as incomplete urination, cold limbs, and listlessness. Cooking dog meat with chili and red braising, and taking it regularly in winter, can enhance the elderly’s resistance to cold. However, it should be noted that because dog meat is warm in nature, those with yang deficiency internal heat, spleen-stomach warmth, or high blood pressure should consume it with caution or avoid it altogether. Additionally, eating dog meat may cause dry mouth, which can be alleviated by drinking rice soup.

　　[Cooking Guide]

　　1. Common cooking methods include stir-frying, sautéing, braising, stewing, and simmering.

　　2. Rub the dog meat repeatedly with white liquor and ginger slices, then soak it in diluted white liquor for 1–2 hours. After rinsing with water, briefly fry it in hot oil before cooking to effectively reduce its gamey smell.