Where in China is the most delicious mutton?

When winter comes, mutton becomes the main dish on the table , especially today, the winter solstice, when many places have the habit of drinking mutton soup.

On a cold day, having a plate of mutton and a bowl of mutton soup is so relaxing that it makes you feel good to the bone.

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In fact, in theory, mutton is not very friendly. Many people think that it has a strong smell and will be unpleasant if it is not handled properly. But in our land of more than 9.6 million square kilometers, I have never heard of friends who don't know how to cook mutton.

In other words, as long as the ingredient mutton is mentioned, diners from all corners of the world will get excited. They will talk about Old Beijing shabu-shabu mutton, Shandong stir-fried mutton with green onions, Northwest hand-pulled mutton, Sichuan Jianyang mutton soup ... They would like to talk about it for three days and three nights without repeating themselves.

Where is the best mutton? Let's open the " China's Lamb Eating Map " together.

01

Xinjiang: Per capita mutton consumption ranks first in China

According to the "China Statistical Yearbook 2018", Xinjiang's per capita mutton consumption ranks first among all provinces and cities in China, reaching 11.7 kilograms .

Xinjiang people love to eat lamb, and Xinjiang people also eat lamb.

Lamb skewers, naan pit meat, grilled lamb chops, grilled lamb legs, grilled lamb offal, roasted whole lamb, stewed lamb, braised lamb, boiled lamb, shabu-shabu lamb, stewed lamb offal... Let's put it this way, as long as you dare to ask your friends in Xinjiang how to cook lamb, they will give you a rendition of it in minutes.

A flock of sheep on the Bayinbuluke grassland in Xinjiang. Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Putting aside other things, the grilled lamb skewers alone have established Xinjiang's lofty status in the barbecue world.

In fact, Xinjiang people don't use the name of grilled mutton skewers. Friends there prefer to call it barbecue - famous for its exaggerated weight. In other regions, you may be able to eat more than a dozen mutton skewers. However, in Xinjiang, a red willow branch grilled mutton is enough to satisfy a big belly.

It has to be said that the combination of red willow branches and mutton is really a wonderful match. Fresh red willow branches will secrete red willow juice under the action of high temperature, which mixed with mutton not only offsets the mutton's own smell, but also brings a unique plant fragrance.

Red Willow Barbecue. Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Naankeng meat is also a typical Xinjiang way of eating.

Xinjiang people like to cut mutton into large pieces and then marinate it. After the mutton is seasoned, they put it on iron skewers and stick it into the inner wall of the naan pit for roasting. It is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, fat but not greasy. When you take a bite and savor it carefully, you will find that the mutton is firm and chewy, and the more you chew, the more fragrant it is, and the more you want to eat.

In addition to roasting lamb in the naan pit, Xinjiang people also like to roast lamb buns in the naan pit.

This kind of baked bun is amazing. The filling itself is full of rich aroma, and then locked in a thin dough, so that people can only see the crispy skin at first sight. But when diners bite open the skin, it is as if the fuse is pulled, and the locked meat aroma instantly explodes in the mouth, and the delicious taste instantly rushes to the top of the head.

Xinjiang barbecue. Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Xinjiang baked buns. Copyright image, no permission to reprint

02

Inner Mongolia: The Purest Sheep-Eating Region

Today, friends on the prairie of Inner Mongolia still retain the oldest and simplest way of cooking lamb.

They don't use any fancy techniques or complicated spices, they just roast it, boil it, and sprinkle a handful of salt for seasoning. For the locals, eating mutton is all about its delicious original flavor.

Holding the mutton with your hands is an authentic Inner Mongolian way of eating. No chopsticks are needed, just hold the mutton with one hand and a knife with the other, and cut, chop, pick or slice the mutton to eat the meat cleanly from the mutton bones.

Its production process is simple and clear, but it contains a lot of secrets. One of them is that the mutton is processed using the traditional "heart-removing method". The sheep processed in this way has a sudden contraction of the heart and a rapid expansion of blood vessels throughout the body, so the meat is extremely tender.

Hand-pulled lamb. Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Secondly, only the sheep that grow on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia can provide diners with such an authentic and wonderful experience. Because the sheep here are different from those in other regions, they are raised on the vast grasslands, not only do they not have a strong smell, but they are also full of sweetness, especially the Hailar mutton .

Hailar is located in the northeast of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and southwest of central Hulunbuir City. The main forage grasses include sheepgrass, bluegrass, Stipa grandis, etc., which are very suitable for grazing sheep.

More importantly, the area is rich in fresh and tender wild leeks. After eating wild leeks, the Hailar sheep can be said to have "marinated themselves".

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The mutton soup made with Hailar mutton as the main ingredient has a color like white jade, is fragrant and has a long aftertaste. The appearance alone is enough to make people's mouths water.

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03

Shaanxi: Noodles are good, but mutton noodles are even better

It is no exaggeration to say that in Shaanxi, every sheep dies a worthy death .

Shaanxi people will chop the fat and lean mutton into pieces, soak them in cold water for an hour or two to remove all the blood, and then stew them in a pot. During the stewing process, they also have to add ginger slices, chili peppers, Shaanxi red onions and other spices; the stewing time cannot be sloppy, after the fire is boiled, it must be stewed for a full hour. Because only in this way can the mutton be stewed to perfection.

However, there is no need to rush to eat the stewed mutton. Shaanxi people prefer to pair mutton with pasta, the most famous of which is mutton soup with steamed buns.

Mutton soup steamed bun. Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Mutton soup with steamed bun looks simple, but it tastes quite particular.

For example, the mutton should be sliced ​​thinly, the meat should be tender and the soup should be thick, fat but not greasy, and the steamed bun should be broken into fingernail-sized pieces with the hands. You must not cut corners for the sake of speed. When eating, you also have to "suck" a little bit around the edge of the bowl, so that you can taste the freshness of the soup base.

Water basin mutton is another interpretation of mutton by Shaanxi people. Do you remember the scene in the TV series “The Longest Day in Chang'an” where Zhang Xiaojing, played by Lei Jiayin, slurped down water basin mutton? It smelled delicious even through the screen?

Lamb in a basin. Copyrighted image, no permission to reprint

In addition, Shaanxi also has noodles with lamb blood, lamb noodle soup, and lamb offal soup ... all of which are eaten cleanly and clearly.

Sheep blood. Copyrighted image, unauthorized reproduction

Mutton offal soup. Copyrighted image, unauthorized reproduction

04

Guizhou: N ways to enjoy mutton noodles

The previous introduction is about the northern way of eating lamb. Now let’s talk about the southern way.

As the old saying goes, people in the north love noodles, while people in the south love rice noodles. For Guizhou people, the favorite breakfast and lunch is mutton rice noodles .

Guizhou people love goats. They choose local dwarf goats that have grown for more than three years. The meat is tender and has little fishy smell. They add more than a dozen spices to the skinned goat meat and stew it slowly over low heat. The stewed goat meat is crispy but not mushy, and the boiled goat soup is clear but not turbid.

Fresh lamb paired with refreshing rice noodles is perfect for warding off the cold on winter mornings.

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We all know that Guizhou has a complex and rugged terrain, and there has always been a saying that "the weather is different every ten miles". Therefore, mutton noodles in different parts of Guizhou also have their own characteristics - Zunyi Shrimp Mutton Noodles, Liupanshui Shuicheng Mutton Noodles, Bijie Jinsha Mutton Noodles and Southwest Guizhou Xingyi Mutton Noodles .

"Shrimp and Lamb Rice Noodles" does not contain "shrimp" in it. "Xia Zi" is a town under the jurisdiction of Zunyi City. The characteristic of Zunyi Shrimp and Lamb Rice Noodles is that it is served with its original flavor. First, drink a few sips of soup, and then add seasonings such as salt, vinegar, pepper powder, and chili powder. The rice noodle is also slightly fermented "sour rice noodle".

Compared to the original flavor of Zunyi, Shuicheng mutton noodles are much heavier in taste and taste very "jianghu". Jinsha mutton noodles are a bit similar to Zunyi, using local red peppers, fragrant but not spicy. As for Xingyi mutton noodles, because of its geographical proximity to Yunnan, the noodles also have a bit of Yunnan flavor.

Shuicheng Lamb Rice Noodles. Copyrighted image, unauthorized reproduction

Xingyi mutton noodles. Copyrighted images from the gallery, no permission to reprint

05

Northern Jiangsu: The new black hole of mutton

Mutton has always been considered the best tonic food in winter. However, in the northern Jiangsu area, especially in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, eating mutton during the dog days has become popular in recent years. The locals have even created a festival based on this custom - the Sheep Festival.

If you go to Xuzhou at this time, you will have the illusion that you have arrived in Inner Mongolia or Xinjiang, with the air filled with the rich smell of cumin and mutton.

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But in fact, northern Jiangsu is not a big sheep producer, and mutton mainly comes from other places, and people rarely eat those high-quality star products. But even ordinary mutton, with a fishy smell, has been made into something special by people in northern Jiangsu.

The secret lies in the mutton oil chili , which is a special seasoning made by mixing mutton fat with chili and other spices. It has the magical effect of turning water into mutton soup. It is also because of the mutton oil chili that young girls and wives in northern Jiangsu can perform such a magic trick - it is obviously cabbage stewed in water, but it has a strong taste of mutton soup.

But that’s not all. Without any unique ingredients, friends here have used divergent thinking in cooking methods and have created some unique ways of eating mutton.

For example, it is said that Su Dongpo once served as an official in Xuzhou, during which time he left behind the local specialty " Yang Qinxi " for Xuzhou.

The so-called "lamb and celery thin noodles" is to cook lamb, celery and thin noodles together. The aroma of celery can neutralize the aroma of lamb and make the roasted lamb more tender. The thin noodles absorb the lamb soup, filling your body with deliciousness from head to toe, and sucking it into your stomach, it can make your tailbone bloom with joy.

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In addition to mutton, people in northern Jiangsu can also make delicious dishes from other parts of the sheep.

Roasted lamb balls, roasted lamb brains, roasted lamb eyes, roasted lamb whips ... Let’s put it this way, ordering food at a mutton restaurant in northern Jiangsu is a torture for people with decision-making difficulties.

Boiled sheep's head. Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Roasted lamb eyes. Copyrighted images from the gallery, no permission to reprint

Roasted lamb eggs. Copyrighted images from the gallery, unauthorized reproduction

In short, no matter where they are, Chinese people always have an endless obsession with mutton. "Fish and mutton are fresh", in Chinese food culture, mutton is the representative of deliciousness.

In your opinion, where in China does lamb taste the best?

How do you eat mutton in your hometown?

Share it in the comments section

Author: Uncle Panda

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