Detailed Explanation of Deer Tail Processing Techniques: Teaching You the Correct Method for Processing Deer Tail

Deer tail is composed of the caudal vertebrae, cavity, muscle fibers, adipose tissue, caudal gland, connective tissue membrane, and skin. Due to the different species of deer, the shape and size also vary. The red deer tail (Cervus elaphus) is thick and plump, relatively short and wide, with a bluntly rounded tip, and is a superior quality product among deer tails; while the sika deer (Cervus nippon) tail is relatively long and cone-shaped. The female deer tail is relatively short and thick, while the male deer tail is relatively long.

Deer tail has been used as a precious tonic and strengthening agent since ancient times in China, and is also a very delicious delicacy. In traditional Chinese medicine, deer tail is believed to have the effects of benefiting essence, tonifying deficiency, and strengthening yang. Some countries' medical circles believe that deer tail can treat anemia, body fluid disorders, kidney disease, and impotence.

Deer tail processing can be divided into 4 steps: dehairing, sealing, air-drying, and shaping. First, dehairing. Place the fresh deer tail into a basin and scald with boiling water until the tail hair can be pulled off, then remove and quickly pull off the tail hair, then use tweezers and a knife to pull out and scrape clean the fine hairs and epidermis. Second, sealing. In the past, sealing mostly involved using a knife to remove excess fat and residual meat from the tail root of the dehaired deer tail, then suturing the skin at the tail root with thread. In recent years, some people have proposed leaving more tail skin when removing the tail, removing excess residual meat and fat, then straightening the tail end, and at the opening at the tail root using iron clips to clamp the inner and outer tail skin together from the bottom end of the opening, closely against the tail end and diagonally upward, then threading the skin outside the clips, hanging for 20-30 minutes, removing the iron clips, and using a knife to cut off excess skin closely along the outside of the clip line. At this point, the inner and outer tail skin can be sealed into one piece. Third, air-drying. Deer tail generally relies on natural dehydration and air-drying, that is, hanging in a cool, ventilated place to air-dry. It is not suitable to use a baking method for drying. If only relying on baking, the glands and fat inside the tail will melt and become scorched, turning it into a shriveled tail. Biologically active substances will also be destroyed, thereby reducing the quality of the deer tail. However, in the hot summer, in order to prevent it from rotting and becoming smelly, it should also be placed in a drying oven (at a temperature of 70°C) for baking from time to time, with each session not exceeding 30 minutes. During air-drying and storage, insect damage must be prevented. Fourth, shaping. Sika deer tail requires no shaping. Red deer tail should be shaped when semi-dry, making its edges thick and plump, the back slightly raised, and the ventral surface slightly concave.