Street Vendor Dog Meat

Street Vendor Dog Meat

　　The dog meat from Maguan County in Yunnan originally comes from the Miao ethnic group's cuisine and is the most famous dish within it. It gained some renown at street stalls in towns such as Muchang and Xiaobazi. There’s a saying: “The Miao have their dogs, the Yi have their liquor.”

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that dog meat can warm the kidneys, boost yang energy, enhance strength, and nourish the blood. It is suitable for most people, especially the elderly. Nowadays, dog meat has become an essential delicacy in restaurants, hotels, and eateries across Maguan. Especially at the two local farmers' markets in the county town, dog meat hotpot (clear broth dog meat, also known as street vendor dog meat) enjoys nearly daily booming business. It is enjoyed not only by locals but also by out-of-town visitors; whenever friends from other regions visit Maguan, locals will take them to taste this famous local specialty—street vendor dog meat. The cooking process is as follows: Select a healthy live dog, slaughter it, and scald off the fur with boiling water. Burn the skin with straw or soybean stalks until it cracks, then thoroughly clean it with clean water. Open the abdomen, remove the internal organs, and rinse them clean. Cut the dog meat into large chunks or leave it whole, then boil it in a large pot until cooked. Remove and cut it into smaller pieces. Place the original clear dog meat broth in a hotpot, add seasonings such as cardamom, star anise, garlic, and tangerine leaves, bring to a boil, and then add a specially prepared dipping sauce (made with crushed chili powder, Sichuan peppercorn, mint, aromatic oil, garlic, and other seasonings) before serving.