Geese, as a common type of poultry, are increasingly popular due to their strong disease resistance and low pollution levels, making them a highly sought-after "green" food. Do you know which goose breeds are most popular in China? Here's a comprehensive list of Chinese goose breeds, including the Lionhead Goose, the largest goose breed in China; the Wugang Bronze Goose, renowned as a world-famous goose; the Sichuan White Goose, considered the mother of hybrid geese; and the captivating Huoyan Goose, among others. Let's take a closer look!
1. Magang meat goose
Magang Goose is a superior goose breed from Guangdong Province, originating in Magang Town, Kaiping City. It is named "Magang Goose" because of its medium size, thin skin, fine texture, delicious meat, and moderate fat content, making it ideal for traditional roast goose. In 1925, Liang Yide introduced a hybrid breed of male geese from Sanzhou, Gaoming, and female geese from Yangjiang, naming it "Magang Goose" after its place of origin, Magang Town. Magang Goose is highly favored for its fine texture, moderate fat content, and delicious taste, and is considered one of the four most famous geese in Guangdong.
2. Lion Head Goose
The Lion Head Goose is one of the largest and finest goose breeds cultivated in rural China, and one of the largest geese in the world. Originating in Xilou Village, Raoping County, Guangdong Province, it has a history of over two hundred years. Now, its main production areas are in the suburbs of Chenghai City and Shantou City, and it is distributed in more than 20 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Heilongjiang, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Shaanxi. A distinctive feature of the Lion Head Goose is that as it ages, its wattle grows larger and larger, resembling the head of a lion, hence its name. This goose is widely used to make authentic old goose heads, a genuine old goose head that can sell for 600-1000 yuan. If foie gras is added, its value increases even further.
3. Yangjiang Yellow-maned Goose
The Yangjiang Yellow-maned Goose is renowned for its brownish-yellow feather band extending from its head to its neck, resembling a horse's mane. It is one of the four premium goose breeds in Guangdong Province and one of the five most famous goose breeds in China. The Yangjiang Yellow-maned Goose is relatively small, with thin skin and tender meat, making it highly sought after. Goose farming in Yangjiang has a long history; research suggests that people began domesticating the Yangjiang Yellow-maned Goose as early as 500 years ago. Many ancient books record in detail the domestication, feeding, selection, breeding, management, processing, consumption, and distribution of geese, as well as related cultural and historical events.
4. Qingyuan Black-maned Goose
Qingyuan Wuzong Goose, also known as Black-maned Goose, is one of the four famous high-quality goose breeds in Guangdong Province. It is a small goose, named for the distinctive black feather band running from its neck to its back. Qingyuan Wuzong Goose meat is prized for its delicious flavor, moderate size, small bones, and tender, juicy meat, making it widely used in roast goose dishes in the Pearl River Delta and Hong Kong and Macau regions, where it enjoys a high reputation. The breeding history of Qingyuan Wuzong Goose is long, with records dating back to the third year of the Jianyan era of the Song Dynasty, and it can also be found in the Qingyuan City Annals of the Ming Dynasty. Before the liberation, it was already being exported to Hong Kong and Macau, spreading its fame both domestically and internationally.
5. Goose with a wide-eyed eye
The name "Hooyan Goose" is quite interesting, as its distinctive feature is very striking! It has a notch behind its upper eyelid, hence the name. Originally from Laiyang, Shandong province, it is also known as the Wulong Goose because it is mainly distributed in the Wulong River basin. It is said that under careful breeding conditions, this goose can lay up to 180 eggs per year, with a typical yield of around 120, and even under haphazard feeding conditions, it can still lay about 100 eggs. The egg production of the Huoyan Goose is unique among goose breeds worldwide, thus earning it the title of "King of Geese."
6. Anhui White Goose
The Wanxi White Goose originated in the Dabie Mountains of Lu'an City, Anhui Province, China, and is an excellent medium-sized goose breed. They grow rapidly, especially in their early stages, producing tender and delicious meat, and also boast high feather yield and quality. The Wanxi White Goose has a very long history, with written records dating back to the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, more than 400 years ago. In the hybrid breeding of geese in China, the Yangzhou Goose is a highly successful breed. It was developed through crossbreeding Taihu Goose, Sichuan White Goose, and Wanxi White Goose, followed by reverse hybridization. The Wanxi White Goose played a major role in the paternal gene line. If the Sichuan White Goose is the mother of hybrid geese, then the Wanxi White Goose is undoubtedly the father.
7. Xupu Goose
Xupu geese are a renowned breed with a long history of breeding, famous for their large bodies and plump livers. Xupu geese are known for their excellent liver yield; the livers are large, low in cholesterol, and extremely nutritious, making them one of China's best breeds for both meat and liver production. Xupu goose feathers are widely used in the production of high-quality badminton shuttlecocks and are highly favored by the Chinese National Badminton Team. Records show that the Xupu goose was listed as the first choice for local livestock breeding in the "Xupu County Gazetteer, Volume 8, Products" from the eighth year of the Tongzhi reign (1879), indicating that goose breeding has been widespread for hundreds of years.
8. Zhejiang East White Goose
The Zhejiang East White Goose, also known as the Xiangshan White Goose, Fenghua White Goose, Dinghai White Goose, and Shaoxing White Goose, is a famous local breed of high-quality goose raised in China. It is a medium-sized, white-feathered goose breed grown for meat production. The Zhejiang East White Goose is distributed in Shaoxing, Ningbo, Zhoushan, Xiaoshan, and other areas in eastern Zhejiang Province, with Xiangshan and Fenghua counties being its main production areas. According to records from Fenghua County, people began raising white geese as early as the Jin Dynasty, a history of over 1600 years. Wang Xizhi, the calligraphy master of the Jin Dynasty, was particularly fond of raising geese, and his interactions with white geese are widely known. Research suggests that the white goose breed he referred to was the Zhejiang East White Goose.
9. Geese
The wild goose, originating from the swan goose and also known as the grey goose or withered goose, evolved from a type of wild goose with a frontal bulge that inhabits Northeast and North my country. It is an ancient and rare breed of superior poultry in my country. The wild goose's history can be traced back to the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, more than 400 years ago. Wild goose meat is tender and delicious, a culinary gem. When cured into preserved goose, its skin turns purplish-red and exudes a rich aroma, while roasted gooselets are uniquely flavorful. Furthermore, wild goose feathers and down are superior raw materials for making high-quality bedding.
10. Sichuan White Goose
Sichuan White Goose is a medium-sized breed of goose, valued for both meat and down. It is characterized by rapid growth, high egg production, large weight, strong adaptability, and excellent meat and down quality. Goose farming has a long history in Nanxi, Yibin City, Sichuan Province, dating back to the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. Sichuan White Geese have pure white and dense feathers, with orange-red beaks and webbed feet. Adult male geese are slightly larger, with thicker heads and necks, and a prominent fleshy growth on their foreheads, while female geese appear more delicate. Sichuan White Geese are excellent hybrid breeding stock, and their influence can be seen in almost all named hybrid meat goose breeds in my country.
The ranking of China's top ten famous geese is based on the popularity and reputation of goose breeds in various regions of China, and also takes into account relevant online rankings/lists. This ranking is for reference only. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment/discuss at the end.
