“I don’t eat mutton when I leave Ningxia.” Ningxia people are very proud of their local mutton. Ningxia people are proud of themselves. The climate here is dry and rainless, with a large temperature difference between day and night. Alfalfa, licorice, sophora and other pastures grow everywhere. The land has high mineral content and is generally rich in selenium. The sheep grew up eating Chinese herbal medicine and drinking mineral water. They are of outstanding quality, and the Yanchitan sheep are especially famous. Ningxia, known as the South of the Yangtze River, has a history of thousands of years of animal husbandry. Ningxia people are specialized in raising sheep, and even eating sheep, no sheep can completely leave Ningxia.
The food structure of the Hui people in Ningxia combines the dual flavors of Central Plains traditions and Muslims, and is the result of the integration of the Hui people and Chinese civilization. There is a comment about Ningxia mutton: Ningxia Yanchitan sheep eat licorice, drink mineral water, squeeze Taitai Oral Liquid, and drink Liuwei Dihuang Pills. In a word, Ningxia's Tan mutton is full of treasures.
The way Ningxia people eat sheep is also very unique. It can be said that when Ningxia sheep were alive, they had only one name, and that was: sheep. But after all, there are many names, such as: hand-caught mutton, steamed lamb, haggis, mutton steamed buns, stir-fried lamb, lamb chops and noodles, mutton-boiled...
Every name , are all impressing people's taste buds, it can be said that it is a well-deserved death. Hand-caught mutton originated among the people and is said to have a history of nearly a thousand years. However, mutton is most enjoyable when eaten in large chunks. If you don’t eat hand-caught mutton, you haven’t been to Ningxia. Hand-caught mutton originated among the people and is said to have a history of nearly a thousand years. Eating a plate of "hand-scratch" is a must-do in Ningxia. The meat of lamb is the most tender, so it is also very popular among Yinchuan people. Every cooking method imaginable is used on lamb. Hand grasping is naturally the first to bear the brunt. The cooked mutton is cut into neat pieces and served on a garlic and vinegar plate. Whether it can seamlessly integrate into Yinchuan life depends on whether you can accept a plate of authentic hand-meal.
Roast whole lamb, a real tough dish, has to succumb to the fame of hand-caught food. However, real foodies don’t care about fame, only about taste. Ningxia has been an area of ??agriculture and animal husbandry since ancient times, and the roasted whole sheep, which reflects the rugged character of the horseback people, is also the most authentic delicacy here. A lamb weighing more than ten kilograms has been slowly roasted for several hours, and its whole body shows an attractive charred brown texture. Eating it with your hands is the most heroic and primitive way to eat it. Charred on the outside and tender on the inside, the smell of barbecue is always irresistible.
How confident are Ningxia people in the quality of local mutton? It got to the point where the whole lamb was not only roasted but also steamed. If it is done well, the deliciousness of the mutton will be best interpreted. If it is not done well, the rest will be the fishy smell of the mutton. The good local mutton is neither fishy nor smelly, and Ningxia people have this kind of confidence. Unlike cooking by hand, steaming the whole lamb can better lock in the juice of the lamb itself. When you tear the lamb, you can already feel the richness and tenderness of the meat.
Speaking of snacks, haggis is a major specialty of Yinchuan. It may seem a bit difficult for outsiders to accept, but Ningxia people go to work every morning. In addition to the habit of eating ramen, they also eat lamb. The custom of offal. Especially on a winter morning, eating a bowl of haggis will make your whole body feel warm and start a new day.