What to eat on the first day of July: duck meat

Folk proverb: "In July, the gate of ghosts opens, and the lonely souls return to the sun." Therefore, the seventh month of the lunar calendar is also called " Ghost July". Especially during the first to mid-July period, the elderly at home will often tell their children to run out less and go home early every day to avoid bad luck.

In fact, the establishment of the "Ghost Month" was originally a kind of goodwill for people to express respect and memory for the dead. However, as time went by, people began to have a natural taboo against this period. According to the old tradition, you should eat more "Four Treasures" during this period, which means to drive away bad luck and welcome auspiciousness, and spend the "Ghost Month" in good health.

One of the four treasures: duck meat

As the saying goes, "If you eat a duck in early July, you don't have to worry about anything." In the eyes of the ancients, "duck" and "press" have the same pronunciation. With this meaning of suppression and exorcism, eating duck can suppress or drive away all kinds of bad luck. Moreover, it is the seventh month of the lunar calendar, and it is still the dog days of summer. Ducks are water-loving animals, and duck meat is cool in nature. It can also nourish the body, reduce heat and relieve dryness, so it is suitable to eat right now.

Recommended recipe: Beer Duck

1. Rinse the duck, chop it into pieces, put it in a basin, add a spoonful of salt to it, and soak it for 20 minutes to remove the blood. Wash and slice the green and red peppers, and slice the ginger as well. Prepare green onion knots, green onion segments and chopped green onion respectively, and cut the garlic into cubes.

2. After soaking the duck pieces, wash them and put them into a pot of cold water. Put the green onion, ginger and ginger slices into the pot, add two spoons of cooking wine, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium to low heat and simmer for 2 minutes. , then skim off the foam in the pot, remove the duck pieces and drain the water.

3. Heat oil in a pan, add chopped green onion, ginger and garlic, then add a small handful of Sichuan peppercorns and dried chili peppers, two pieces of star anise and three bay leaves, stir fry until fragrant and then add the duck cubes. , stir-fry out the fat and water in the duck meat, stir-fry until the duck pieces are dry, then add a spoonful of Pixian bean paste and stir-fry until the red oil and aroma are released.

4. Pour the whole bottle of beer into the pot to ensure that the soup can cover the duck pieces. If the soup is not enough, add boiling water, add three spoons of light soy sauce and one spoon of dark soy sauce, and then pour a little vinegar. , cover the pot and simmer over low heat for half an hour.