2021-11 (Part 2) Nanjing Saltwater Duck: From Food to Cultural and Creative Economic Path

Text / Liu Qingwen

According to the "White Gate Recipe", "During the August period of Jinling, the saltwater duck was the most famous, and everyone thought that the meat had the fragrance of osmanthus flowers. "Saltwater duck, also known as osmanthus duck, the skin is white and tender, fat but not greasy, and the duck meat is delicious and delicious, which is amazing.

There is often a mantra circulating in the folklore: "Don't eat duck for three days, walk slippery." In Nanjing, it is even more "no duck, no seat". Whether it is an ordinary family banquet or a small gathering of friends, there is often a saltwater duck, accompanied by a few home-cooked dishes, and the words are often nagged about new things, and the saltwater duck has become an indispensable embellishment in the "fireworks of the world".

Ancient techniques hidden in the folk

As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, Nanjing had the production of duck food, which has a history of more than 2,500 years. In 2007, Nanjing saltwater duck making technology was selected as one of the first batch of intangible cultural heritage in Jiangsu Province. The most authentic Nanjing saltwater duck making technique is often hidden in the streets and alleys of old shops, and the taste of each old shop is also unique.

As a traditional duck-making craftsman, Fan Wenhua is the third generation of the 40-year-old Nanjing duck-making shop. According to Fan Wenhua, the production of brine duck has four processes of pickling, drying, brine and covering, each step seems simple, but it is actually a year-long experience and refinement. Every day before four o'clock in the morning, Master Fan began to slaughter the good lake duck that day, wash the hair, spread the fried salt evenly on the whole body of the duck, let it sit for three or four hours, and then put it into the old brine altar to soak, so that the duck body was all submerged in the brine.

"The most important thing about duck making is brine, which has been in my house for 40 years." Fan Wenhua said that the most important thing about the freshness of duck meat is brine, the duck body is soaked for four hours, and then fished up and rinsed with water, so that the brine duck can taste.

The heat also needs to be properly controlled to ensure that the meat is tender and completely fishy. First add the ginger shallots to the water, bring to a boil over high heat, then put the marinated duck into it and cook it over high heat, then turn it to a low heat and cook for about 35 minutes, and finally fish it up to cool, and the brine duck with a thin skin and crispy bones is freshly baked.

"In the past 30 years, the price has changed from the earliest 3 yuan per catty to the current 18 yuan per catty." Fan Wenhua said, "There are peaks and valleys, including 3 consecutive years of losses. "For Fan Culture, inheriting the skills of his father and continuing to pass them on is not only a means of making a living, but also a kind of craftsman's persistence.

Technology is integrated into intangible cultural heritage

Nowadays, a number of duck companies in Nanjing actively promote the technological innovation and industry progress of saltwater duck, and are committed to the cultural inheritance and brand image of Nanjing duck. Whether it is the automated brine duck production line, or the new brine duck production process and other patents, it is an innovative paradigm of intangible cultural heritage technology in the modern development.

The first problem faced by the combination of intangible cultural heritage skills and large-scale production is how to quantify and standardize the "experience and perception" of inheritors. Nanjing Cherry Duck Industry Co., Ltd. has three non-hereditary inheritors of saltwater duck making skills, Zhang Jianwen, Gao Changbao, Yan hebo, who led the team to explore the road of industrialization, formulate scientific standards, and achieve large-scale production.

It is understood that since the establishment of the company in 2002, a number of large-scale production standards have been formulated. First of all, ensure that the weight difference of each duck sent to the factory is within 50 grams; second, establish a corresponding chart of air temperature and pickling time to facilitate the control of duck pickling time; finally, use large-scale production and processing machines for cooking and packaging. Among them, the brine, salt plastering, duck chopping skills, by the inheritors personally supervised and taught to hundreds of workers, to ensure the stable quality of large-scale production.

When the intangible cultural heritage on the tip of the tongue is integrated with modern science and technology, it enters the public life on a larger scale and brings back economic benefits, its production skills will naturally be passed on for a longer time.

Create a saltwater duck cultural and creative economy

Large-scale production of ducks is only the first step, so as to extend the industrial chain and create a "duck economy" is the most important thing.

In 2018, Nanjing Saltwater Duck Cultural Experience Park was completed, integrating visits, leisure and consumption. Inside the Duck Culture Center, the history of the development of the duck industry in Nanjing and the inheritance of brine duck making skills are introduced from an all-media perspective. Outside the production workshop, through the transparent glass of the corridor, you can see the whole process of making the non-heritage brine duck. In the leisure experience area, visitors can purchase duck food such as duck blood vermicelli, saltwater duck, duck shortbread and so on.

The reporter learned that even under the current situation of national epidemic control, the Saltwater Duck Cultural Experience Park still received about 60,000 tourists from January to November, and maintained at least 2 tourist receptions per week.

In order to enhance the sustainability, inclusiveness and openness of the development of intangible cultural heritage in Nanjing, the Nanjing Municipal Government has specially set up the Nanjing Maritime Silk Road Heritage Research Center to promote the productization, industrialization and branding of intangible cultural heritage. At the same time, we will continue to promote the integration of high-quality development of culture and tourism, so that the intangible cultural heritage economy can empower a better life; expand the contingent of non-genetic talents through professional and technical training; organize enterprises to participate in various cultural product exhibitions and promote the construction of scientific and technological and cultural demonstration bases; hold the "Belt and Road" Youth Creativity and Heritage Forum to strengthen cultural exchanges and cooperation with countries and regions along the route in the fields of youth, media and think tanks; and closely focus on the overall situation of the construction of "innovative cities and beautiful ancient capitals". Committed to making Nanjing's intangible cultural heritage, including saltwater duck skills, into a bright cultural and creative business card in China.