To summarize, although true ducks, domestic ducks, and combined ducks all belong to the same species, and domestic ducks and combined ducks are subspecies of true ducks, the food texture of the three is different. Real ducks that love traveling and freedom are the thinnest, and their meat is full of game. Domestic duck is the fattest, with soft meat, high fat content and mild meat taste. Hybrid ducks vary according to specific breed characteristics. Excellent hybrid duck varieties will have some of the advantages of real ducks and domestic ducks, such as fast growth, large body size, and lean meat, etc.

So, which of these three types of duck do Japanese people eat most? Let’s talk next.

Eat duck!

The Japanese have a long history of eating duck meat. Duck bones of real ducks can often be found in relics unearthed from shell mounds during the Jomon period in various parts of Japan, indicating that real ducks have been present in Japan as early as the Jomon period. . In ancient Japan, real ducks were a very important species in the broad category of ducks. Sometimes people would directly refer to real ducks as "duck".

A galloping real duck. via: 7tei.jp

In the 12th century, records about domestic ducks appeared in Japan. There is a theory that Japan's domestic duck breeds were first introduced from China, along with the ducks. But in the centuries since, duck farming has been a non-starter in Japan.

In the Azuchi Momoyama era, Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a duck meat lover. When he lived in Nagahama, Omi, he enjoyed eating real duck from Lake Biwa. After moving to Osaka, Toyotomi Hideyoshi found that there were no ducks to eat that he liked, so he issued a decree to reward domestic duck breeding and encouraged the breeding of domestic ducks in paddy fields to reduce insect pests. This was considered "social The prototype of "Duck Farming Method".

Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the birds. via: irasutoya.com

In the late Edo period, some duck breeds from abroad were gradually introduced to Japan. It was not until the Meiji era that Japan's duck breeding showed a trend of industrialization.

The most famous Japanese duck dishes are duck nanban and duck hotpot. "Kamo Nanban" is simply soba noodles with duck meat and scallions. This dish appeared in the "Sasaya Jihei" in Nihonbashi Magurocho, Edo (now Tokyo) during the Edo Period (1810-1814). .

Duck Nanman. via: ninben.co.jp

The duck meat used when "Sasaya Jihei" opened was real duck meat, but the problem with using wild duck is that you can't eat it anytime you want. Duck Nanban is only sold in the store when real duck classmates fly over for the winter. This once-in-a-lifetime, aesthetic and embarrassing situation lasted until the second half of the Meiji era, when duck breeding was industrialized. Stores would continue to use real ducks to make duck nanban in winter, while in other seasons they could use Japanese duck instead.

When "Sasaya Jihei" first opened, three pieces of real duck meat, two pieces of duck bones and scallions were added to the duck nanban, and the bowl was covered with a lacquer cover.

Another famous duck dish, "duck pot", is made of duck meat, green onions, tofu, vegetables, etc. It is said that this dish was originally made with real duck meat. Now the duck pot in many places is It is made with duck meat instead, but the Lake Biwa area, which is famous for its real duck, still uses real duck meat to make duck hotpot, which is also one of the local dishes of Shiga Prefecture.

Steamy duck pot. via: kueemon.com

You may have discovered that both duck Nanban and duck pot are indispensable for one soul element: green onions. Because back then, people used wild real duck meat to make these two dishes. Adding scallions can effectively remove the fishy smell and enhance the freshness, making the dishes more delicious.

After duck meat and green onions became the best CP, the word "duck green onions" even appeared in Japanese colloquialism, which is the expression of "duck's back with green onions (duck's back with green onions)" An abbreviation, which means that "everything is ready" when duck meat is added with green onions, describing that things are going smoothly.

Duck and green onion

Now, when you eat duck cuisine in Japan, you will find that the most common word among the above three types of duck is "合 duck", followed by "real duck" ”, it is rare to see the word “domestic duck”. It’s not that Japanese people don’t eat domestic duck, but in Japan’s food and cooking circles, people are used to referring to both Japanese duck and domestic duck as “Japanese duck.”

But in the context of Chinese cuisine, the word "domestic duck" can be used boldly. Peking duck restaurants in Japan will clearly state that their roast duck is made from domestic duck. In addition, preserved eggs, which are common in Chinese cuisine, are also made from domestic duck eggs.