Sticky rice wine, lychee, plums, and square rice cakes are distinctive dishes enjoyed during the Duanwu Festival. On this day, in many regions, people also eat duck meat.
There is a belief that eating duck meat at the beginning of the month is often considered “unlucky,” which makes its presence in the list of delicious dishes for the Duanwu Festival quite surprising for many. If you understand the reasons below, you will certainly not be confused about why many localities enjoy duck meat on this special occasion.
Reasons for Eating Duck Meat During the Duanwu Festival
Symbolizing the “suppression” of misfortune
The Duanwu Festival in China features the Dragon Boat Festival. On this day, many dishes or activities involving duck eggs are performed. For instance, people eat salted duck egg yolks (used in making traditional cakes), gift boiled duck eggs to one another, enjoy tea eggs, and crack eggs together to wish for good luck.
On Duanwu Festival, many provinces in Central Vietnam eat roasted or boiled duck.
In our culture, compared to the belief of eating duck meat at the end of the month to “dispel bad luck,” during the Duanwu Festival, many provinces in Central Vietnam enjoy roasted or boiled duck. The Duanwu Festival in Eastern countries carries the meaning of seeking peace and blessings. While in China, people gift one another balut eggs, eat salted duck eggs, and enjoy duck meat, many regions in Vietnam also partake in eating duck.
Because “duck” in Chinese is “压” (yā). Duck sounds similar to “压,” which signifies the suppression of illness and negative energy. This is also a wish for loved ones and friends to always be safe and sound.
Nutritious and cooling properties of duck meat
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, duck meat has a sweet, slightly salty flavor and a cooling nature, which helps to boost vitality and nourish the body for those who are weak. According to the book “Bencao Gangmu” by Li Shizhen: “Duck meat treats urinary issues, hot diseases, and deficiency; it nourishes the five organs and water pathways. One should choose male ducks with green heads or white-feathered ducks.”
Duck meat also helps to detoxify swellings and reduce heat. During the Duanwu Festival, the weather is hot and oppressive. Strong winds over the sea create condensation, leading to prolonged heavy rain or natural disasters such as floods. Additionally, during the summer solstice, the weather changes unpredictably, making it easy for people to catch colds, experience fevers, or suffer from heat strokes, dengue fever, etc. Therefore, consuming duck meat helps to balance body temperature and improve health.
Duck meat helps to detoxify swellings and reduce heat.
The Chinese also enjoy eating salted duck eggs during the Duanwu Festival. The rising temperatures and heavy rains increase the activity of bacteria and insects. Eating salted duck eggs during the hot summer can help detoxify, clear the lungs, nourish yin, and benefit health. Therefore, in addition to duck meat, people also consume salted duck eggs.
In our culture, people often eat boiled duck with ginger dipping sauce, roasted duck with soy sauce, cook duck porridge, or make sour plum duck stew, among other dishes. Alternatively, they prepare duck with lotus seeds, red dates, and other beneficial ingredients, known as “medicinal duck stew.”
