Panjiang Dog Meat

Panjiang Dog Meat

　　Panjiang dog meat can be traced back as early as the Ming and Qing dynasties. At that time, due to limitations, dog meat was consumed mainly for its tonic properties — believed to help with physical weakness, kidney deficiency, fatigue after illness, recovery from sickness, and bedwetting in children. It had medicinal value but had not yet developed into a marketized industry. Over time, by 1966, when military factories and mines were established in Panjiang, they helped drive the development of Panjiang dog meat. In the 1970s, with the favorable conditions brought by the reform and opening-up policy, Panjiang dog meat gradually became industrialized. Its location along the main Hunan-Guizhou route, combined with convenient transportation and unique geographical advantages, contributed to its booming business. By the 1980s, Panjiang dog meat had gained fame both domestically and internationally. On Panjiang Street alone, out of over a hundred households, around 50 had opened dog meat restaurants. However, the opening of the Gui-Xin expressway later posed some challenges to the industry. Currently, there are 29 dog meat restaurants in Panjiang, capable of hosting more than 5,300 guests at once.

　　In the past, dogs were slaughtered by burning off their fur, leaving the skin torn and charred, which looked unappetizing. Today, the process involves scalding the dog with boiling water to remove the fur, cleaning and scraping it thoroughly, then cooking it and brushing it with vegetable oil to give the meat a tender, whitish appearance with beads of moisture and a glossy shine. Additionally, Panjiang’s food vendors have innovated with new spice blends — building upon traditional ingredients like cardamom and litsea cubeba, they now also include white cardamom, black cardamom, and sandalwood among others. As a result, the dish boasts excellent color, aroma, and flavor, making it a highly sought-after meal for visitors from across the province and beyond.

　　Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun once published a report on Panjiang’s “Dog Meat Street,” greatly enhancing its fame far and wide. On November 3, 1990, the Reference News reprinted an article from Japan’s Mainichi Shimbun titled “A Street of Dog Meat Restaurants Where Business Booms Even More in Winter,” written by Japanese journalist Hidetoshi Kaneko. The report described his observations in Panjiang Town, Guizhou. Numerous other influential domestic and international media outlets such as China Central Television (CCTV), Guizhou TV, Japan’s Asahi Shimbun, France’s Le Monde, and the Chinese Gourmet magazine have also covered the topic, helping establish Panjiang dog meat as a renowned local specialty across Guizhou and even the whole nation.

　　Panjiang dog meat has a long history. In 1982, a man named Liu Lao Si, who came to Panjiang from Huajiang County in Guanling and joined his wife’s family, started a dog meat business. With many customers and thriving trade, he paved the way for others. Soon after, dozens of families with surnames such as Luo, He, Shen, Liu, and Zhang also opened dog meat restaurants. Panjiang dog meat can be traced back as early as the Ming and Qing dynasties. At that time, due to limitations, dog meat was consumed mainly for its tonic properties — believed to help with physical weakness, kidney deficiency, fatigue after illness, recovery from sickness, and bedwetting in children. It had medicinal value but had not yet developed into a marketized industry. Over time, by 1966, when military factories and mines were established in Panjiang, they helped drive the development of Panjiang dog meat. In the 1970s, with the favorable conditions brought by the reform and opening-up policy, Panjiang dog meat gradually became industrialized. Its location along the main Hunan-Guizhou route, combined with convenient transportation and unique geographical advantages, contributed to its booming business. By the 1980s, Panjiang dog meat had gained fame both domestically and internationally. On Panjiang Street alone, out of over a hundred households, around 50 had opened dog meat restaurants. However, the opening of the Gui-Xin expressway later posed some challenges to the industry. Currently, there are 29 dog meat restaurants in Panjiang, capable of hosting more than 5,300 guests at once. These establishments not only preserve the traditional cooking characteristics of Huajiang dog meat but also innovate continuously. In the past, dogs were slaughtered by burning off their fur, leaving the skin torn and charred, which looked unappetizing. Today, the process involves scalding the dog with boiling water to remove the fur, cleaning and scraping it thoroughly, then cooking it and brushing it with vegetable oil to give the meat a tender, whitish appearance with beads of moisture and a glossy shine. Additionally, Panjiang’s food vendors have innovated with new spice blends — building upon traditional ingredients like cardamom and litsea cubeba, they now also include white cardamom, black cardamom, and sandalwood among others. As a result, the dish boasts excellent color, aroma, and flavor, making it a highly anticipated meal for visitors from across the province and beyond.