The Hunting Month

Game is afoot as Lunar New Year fare traditionally calls for a platter of meaty treats, Pauline D Loh writes.

The last month of the lunar calendar used to be called the Hunting Month, or La Yue, in more rustic times. That was when traps were set in the wild to catch pheasants, rabbits, deer and wild boar in preparation for the rounds of feasting during Spring Festival, just a week away from now.

In spite of the urban spread of China's population, the year-end tradition of preserving meat is still very popular, where a variety of birds, cuts of beef, mutton, pork and fish can be seen strung up in backyards and balconies alike to catch the winter north wind and sun.

Sausages are made from hand-cut pork belly and marinated in salt, sugar and yellow rice wine, which has a characteristic red tinge.