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Annual goat meat festival is very hot
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The annual Goat Meat Festival is underway in Zhangqiao Village, offering goat leg, goat liver, goat blood and all things goat — a traditional warming food for winter.
The festival, a ritual in Jinshan District, is in full swing, attracting not only locals but people from around Shanghai.
The festival runs through January 25.
During the festival, a free banquet has been planned in a century-old restaurant and featured famous dishes of goat soup, steamed goat, leg of goat, spiced goat, goat innards and other parts of the animal.
Because of its goat, Zhangqiao Village has been one of the stops on the “Golden Spoon” dining tour of the city and its suburbs.
Goat is a famous male tonic in traditional Chinese medicine. It’s supposed to be filled with yang (“hot”) energy to empower men, but it’s good for everyone.
Goat meat gourmands will also be able to join in, singing traditional village songs, passed down through generations. The songs have been listed as part of the city’s intangible cultural heritage.
In the town’s central square, farmer singers will give performances that depict the life of the village through the four seasons.
Visitors can also buy freshly picked fruits and vegetables. Famous products from Jinshan include black kernal rice, glutinous rice, red beans, green beans, bamboo leaves and rice straw.
The village's annual goat gala in winter dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) when famous General Qi Jiguang (1528-1588) won a great victory over Japanese pirates who had been harassing villages along the coastal waters in the Zhangqiao area.
The story goes that to celebrate the victory and reward his soldiers, the general ordered that a giant bronze pot be cast, one large enough to contain enough goat meat to feed more than 1,000 people.
The tradition continues.
According to TCM, it’s good to build up yang energy in winter. An infusion of yang energy can treat poor circulation, some heart problems and menstrual irregularities, it is said.
Eating goat meat can also help expel toxins, especially when consumed with strong liquor, such as baijiu, or distilled alcohol.
But there are some tips when eating goat meat.
• Since it increases inner heat, a meal should be balanced with “cold” (yin energy) vegetables such as lotus root, bamboo shoots, potato, mushroom, rapeseed, spinach and white gourd.
• Do not eat goat meat with vinegar, which is also high in yang energy, according to TCM.
• Don’t eat pumpkin along with goat meat, because the combination is said to cause jaundice and smelly feet.
• After eating goat, do not drink tea, which can cause constipation. Hepatitis patients should avoid goat meat.
Address: Zhangqiao Village, Jinshi Rd S., Jinshanwei Town
How to get there:
• By railway: Jinshan Railway from Shanghai South Railway Station to Jinshanwei Station. Shift to Bus Zhuqianwei Line to the town.
• By car: Highway S19 to Jinshanwei Exit. Drive south along Xinwei Road to the Jinshan Road. Turn right on Jinshan Road to the west. Turn right at the Jinshi Rd S.
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