Pei County Dog Meat

Pei County Dog Meat

Pei County Dog Meat is a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Legend has it that during the late Qin Dynasty, Fan Kuai made a living as a dog butcher. Liu Bang, who loved eating the dog meat he sold, often delayed paying for it when short on cash. To avoid being owed money, Fan Kuai crossed the river and relocated elsewhere. Unexpectedly, Liu Bang managed to cross the river too, thanks to the help of a giant turtle, and tracked him down. Upon learning the truth, Fan Kuai flew into a rage, rushed to the riverside, caught the turtle, and killed it, then cooked it together with the dog meat. To his surprise, once the dog meat was thoroughly cooked, its flavor became ten times more delicious than before. Thus, Turtle Juice Dog Meat got its name. (Xuzhou)

　　“Pei County Dog Meat,” also known as Turtle Juice Dog Meat, is distinctive in color, aroma, and taste, boasting a unique flavor. It is brownish-red in color, bright in appearance, richly fragrant, and delicious in taste. The texture is tender yet firm, soft but not greasy, with no fishy or off-putting flavors. Pei County Dog Meat is served without the skin and is torn by hand rather than sliced with a knife. It offers a unique mouthfeel, delicious taste, and is highly nutritious. According to tests conducted by the Jiangsu Provincial Animal Product Quality Inspection and Testing Center, the meat contains about 4.5% moisture; approximately 5.67% protein; around 0.54% fat; roughly 0.8% salt; and seven types of amino acids, including about 0.7% aspartic acid, 0.74% threonine, 0.59% serine, 0.6% glutamic acid, 0.7% glycine, 0.94% alanine, 0.0% cystine, 0.76% valine, 0.5% methionine, 0.85% isoleucine, 0.45% leucine, 0.57% tyrosine, 0.6% phenylalanine, 0.66% histidine, 0.44% lysine, 0.98% arginine, and 0.4% proline. It also contains 6.0–7.0 mg/kg of iron, about 0.6% calcium, around 0.98% phosphorus, 0.8–1.0 million IU/kg of vitamin A. Additionally, it has strong tonic effects. Regular consumption can help the elderly prevent phlegm, resist aging, and prolong life, while young people can benefit from enhanced growth and development and improved intelligence.

　　“Turtle Juice Dog Meat” is a famous dish from Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province. It can be served as a cold dish to accompany drinks or featured at formal banquets. Moreover, it is a historic delicacy associated with Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang. Liu Bang was originally from Pei County, Xuzhou, where dog meat shops were ubiquitous. People believed that eating dog meat could benefit qi circulation, lighten the body, soothe the internal organs, strengthen the spleen and stomach, warm the waist and knees, boost strength, and treat various ailments. In the depths of winter, a bowl of dog meat would quickly warm the entire body. Therefore, winter is the best season to enjoy dog meat. It is said that in Heji Town, Pei County, daily sales of dog meat can reach 500–600 jin.

　　Geographical Scope

　　It is distributed across seventeen towns (districts) within the administrative region of Pei County, Jiangsu Province, including: Longgu, Datun, Yangtun, Peicheng, Huzhai, Weimiao, Wuduan, Zhangzhuang, Zhangzhai, Jing’an, Hekou, Qishan, Loulou, Anguo, Zhuzhai, New Urban District, and Energy Development Zone. Pei County is located at the northwestern tip of Jiangsu Province, bordered by Weishan Lake and Zhaoyang Lake to the east, adjacent to Weishan County of Shandong Province, neighboring Yutai County of Shandong Province to the northwest, Feng County to the west, and Tongshan County to the south. Its geographical coordinates are between 116°41′–117°09′ east longitude and 34°28′–34°59′ north latitude. The county spans approximately 60 kilometers from north to south and about 30 kilometers from east to west, covering a total area of 1,576 square kilometers. The production scale is 1 million dogs annually, yielding 9,000 tons of dog meat.