eating game meat in winter to ward off cold
A traditional practice, especially in mountainous regions, of eating wild boar, deer, or other game meat during winter as a way to build stamina and resist the cold. The term is historical and regional; not an everyday word.
Long ago, in mountain villages, people ate wild boar meat in winter, calling it kusurigui.
Standard kanji spelling for this traditional practice.
Alternate kanji spelling using 喰 (eat), less common.
A compound of 薬 and 食い referring to the winter consumption of meat, especially game, as medicinal food. 薬 served as a euphemistic justification for eating meat under Buddhist dietary restrictions.