§ 5. Poultry
The most common of all animal food in China is probably poultry. Many varieties of chickens, ducks, and geese are raised. Some of the best breeds of chickens for meat are the Langshang, from the Shanghai region, of which there are two varieties, the black and the white; and the Swatow, of which there are also two varieties, the white and buff. These breeds are large and meaty, individuals weighing from five to eight pounds. There is a number of other distinct breeds and varieties of chickens, which, while they are not as good for meat as the above, due to their smaller size, are used extensively for food.
In the region of Canton, the common variety of chickens used for meat, and also for egg production, is a small buff-colored variety, generally more or less mixed with other varieties. This variety, which is called wong kai (黃雞) by the Cantonese, is becoming very popular in the Philippine Islands, where it is called the “Cantonese” chicken because of its introduction from Canton.
The most common ducks of southern China are of a dark colored variety. In north China the white Peking duck is the common variety. Both are excellent for meat.
There are three varieties of Chinese geese; the grey, white, and brown. The grey variety is probably more generally used for meat than are the other two varieties. It is the only variety raised on a large scale in southern China, and its meat is of excellent quality. Chinese geese are distinguished from other breeds of geese by the fleshy protuberance at the base of the bill and front of the skull.