From roast duck to roast goose
Roast goose and roast duck belong to the same roast-meat tradition and are made similarly, but geese are larger with thicker meat and take longer to roast. Guangzhou roast goose often uses Qingyuan black-brown geese of medium size, with firm meat and some fat; some shops use black-maned geese, which have a small frame and even subcutaneous fat. The whole goose is trimmed of wings, feet and innards, washed, and marinated with five-spice and other seasonings.
Roast goose is common at Guangzhou’s siu mei counters. Whole birds hang behind a glass window; the customer points to one and the cook chops it, sold by standard plate, half bird or whole bird. The skin should be red and glossy and the meat juicy; chopping brings skin, fat and meat together in each piece so it does not taste only of salt.
Blanching, sugar wash, into the oven
The prepared goose is first inflated so the skin separates from the meat, rubbed with five-spice, sewn shut at the belly, then blanched in boiling water, cooled in cold water, brushed with a sugar or maltose wash and hung in a ventilated place to dry. The skin must dry thoroughly to turn crisp in the oven; a thin layer of sugar wash gives a date-red color. In the traditional method the goose is hung in an oven or turned over an open fire, and the heat and turning rhythm determine whether the color is even.
Shenjing roast goose is more unusual: a deep well is dug in the ground, a clay jar is placed inside, lychee charcoal is burned in the jar, and the goose is put in to cook from the heat of the jar walls and coals. Lychee wood burns hot, with charcoal temperatures above 200°C; as goose fat drips and is rendered out, the skin turns crisp and the meat stays tender with a hint of lychee-wood smoke. Black-maned geese raised to about three months and weighing four to six kilograms have just the right subcutaneous fat and are the size commonly used for Shenjing roast goose.
Shenjing village and the roast-meat counter
Shenjing roast goose comes from Shenjing Village on Changzhou Island in Huangpu District, Guangzhou. The village lies on Changzhou Island between the Whampoa Military Academy and the University Town, across the river from the city center. The village retains gray-brick old houses and ancestral halls, and the island’s roast goose museum displays the origin, method and changes of the dish.
Guangzhou roast-meat counters sell more than goose: char siu, roast duck, roast pork, soy sauce chicken and white-cut chicken. Roast goose is usually served with plum sauce, whose sweet-sour taste cuts the richness of the goose fat; it can also go with white rice and greens as roast goose rice. Shops make different choices about goose breed, marinade, sugar wash, charcoal and sauce: some use black-maned geese, others black-brown geese; some insist on lychee wood, others use modern ovens; some plum sauces are more sour, others sweeter.
Ordering and restrictions
At a roast-meat counter, you can first look at the whole geese hanging in the window and ask for a standard plate or half a bird depending on the number of people. Ask the cook to chop the skin and meat evenly; if you like crisp skin, ask for the part near the back, and if you like juiciness, the leg. Eat it while hot, because the skin turns chewy when cold; dip lightly in plum sauce rather than soaking each piece.
Roast goose marinade often contains soy sauce, five-spice and sugar, and soy sauce may contain wheat; plum sauce ingredients vary by shop and may include sugar, salt, plums or spices. People allergic to goose, soy, wheat or particular spices should ask about the marinade and sauce before ordering. Cutting boards and knives at roast-meat counters handle several kinds of meat, so strict vegetarians and anyone sensitive to cross-contact should take note.
Useful official references
Check the relevant official service before making arrangements. These links are references, not a guarantee of current services.
