Every part of a camel is valuable, but the camel's hoof is the most prized. The camel's hoof refers to the four large, soft hooves, each about the size of 1. As it comes from the most active part of the camel’s body, the meat is exceptionally tender, elastic, and tendon-like yet softer. The camel's hoof is highly nutritious and has long been ranked alongside bear’s paw, bird’s nest, and monkey head mushroom as one of China’s “Four Famous Dishes”…
Pulled Sugar Milk Tofu is a famous Inner Mongolian dish. It is made primarily with milk tofu. The milk tofu is cut into strips, coated with flour, then dipped in a light batter made from egg whites, starch, and flour before being deep-fried until golden brown. A suitable amount of sugar is melted in a pan to make a pulled sugar syrup, into which the fried milk tofu is added. Sesame seeds are sprinkled on top, and the dish is coated evenly with the syrup before serving...
The Baotou oil basket is woven from red willow, then lined with old white linen paper and coated with pig’s blood or horse blood. Though the manufacturing technique may seem simple, it actually relies entirely on skill. Features: The Baotou oil basket is both oilproof and preserves the flavor of stored oil, and it is lightweight for easy transport. It was an essential item in ancient oil mills and distilleries (breweries).…
Yellow River Carp from Nanhai The Nanhai Wetland Scenic Area Management Office of Baotou City The Nanhai Wetland Scenic Area not only boasts valuable wetland resources and abundant tourism attractions, but also has a long history of fish farming. As early as 1958, the Baotou Fish Seed Station was established here, making Nanhaizi an important source of non-staple food for the city, and the fresh fish from Nanhai was once...
Name: Wang Guiyuan Smoked Chicken Introduction: Wang Guiyuan Guobangzi Smoked Chicken is made using traditional aged broth and a unique recipe, with carefully selected ingredients and fine craftsmanship. It is smoked to achieve...
Freshly steamed “Roast Beauty” exudes a rich aroma, with a crystal-clear appearance, a skin as thin as cicada wings, tender yet resilient without breaking. Lifted with chopsticks, it feels soft like a hanging gallbladder, and when placed on a plate, it resembles a small round cake. When eaten, it tastes like tenderloin—succulent and buttery. Its most remarkable feature is that while it fills the mouth with a mellow fragrance, it leaves no pungent onion aftertaste...
Oats noodles are a common type of noodle dish in Inner Mongolia. They are made by grinding roasted oats into flour, then mixing the flour with boiling water to form dough. The dough is cut into strips and steamed. These noodles can be served cold (tossed with stir-fried eggplant, shredded cucumber, or shredded radish), or...
Dexingyuan Shaomai has a long history. It is made with fresh lamb from the Xilingol Grassland as filling and high-quality Hetao wheat flour as the wrapper, then steamed to perfection. The finished product is shaped like a pomegranate seed and can be served as a dim sum in banquets or enjoyed as a popular everyday meal. Dexingyuan Shaomai is renowned for its thin wrapper, tender filling, fragrant taste, and attractive appearance, standing out as the top choice among shaomai vendors…
Baotou is rich in flax (linen), whose seeds are pressed into flaxseed oil, durable for lighting lamps or as lubricant. The stalks serve as essential kindling for residents. The peeled bark of the stalks becomes linen fibers. Paper made from waste materials such as old ropes and sacks is called flax paper. Baotou’s flax paper is tough yet thin, and account books made from it stand as the finest testament to the city’s advanced papermaking industry…
The kettle has a flat, round shape resembling a persimmon, hence the name "Persimmon-shaped Copper Kettle." It is an essential item in the daily lives of both Mongolian and Han people. During the Tongzhi era, prominent copper workshops included Dachengyu, followed by Fuyucheng, Guo Copper Workshop, Xu Copper Workshop, Ding Copper Workshop, Wu Copper Workshop, and others.
Cheese is commonly known as "laodanzizi." It is made by simmering yogurt from which white butter has been separated, then placing it in a cloth bag to squeeze out the sour whey. The remaining curds are dried into crumbly pieces, resulting in laodanzizi. Laodanzizi is one of the most common dairy products and is beloved by the Mongolian people. It has a hard texture and a sour taste, often enjoyed with milk tea and fried rice. When chewed, the sourness is complemented by a fragrant flavor. Among dairy foods...
Baotou was the first region in Inner Mongolia to weave carpets from wool. During the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, two masters surnamed Xing and Tang came from Ningxia and began teaching carpet-weaving techniques. It was only later that these techniques spread to Guisui (now Hohhot). The earliest carpet workshops in Baotou included Sanhehe, followed by Tianhoucheng, Shuangjiqing, Jiqinggong, Qianyicheng…
In 1931, Liu Zihuo opened Judecheng, the largest "Eastern School" (Beijing-Tianjin style) restaurant in Baotou. The restaurant was elegantly furnished, adorned with famous potted plants, hanging calligraphy and paintings by renowned artists. The tables and chairs were all in the color of nanmu wood, and the tableware was exquisitely crafted, all featuring fine porcelain with pine and cypress patterns. The dishes were meticulously prepared, the presentation was beautiful, and the feast could be described as excellent in aroma, color, form, taste, texture, and...
China has traditionally been a predominantly vegetarian society, originally unrelated to Buddhist vegetarianism. The <Zhuangzi> records the idea of "eating vegetables and wandering freely, like an unmoored boat." Later, Han Chinese Buddhists inherited this fine tradition, transforming it from a cultural practice into a religious one. Back when old Baotou only had three traditional dishes—cold bean sprouts, meat, and a large stew—vegetarian feasts became the city’s...
Paper-Wrapped Lamb. Judecheng improved upon the Cantonese technique of paper-wrapped chicken to create paper-wrapped lamb. The paper must be soft yet tough, oil-resistant, and not prone to crumbling when fried. The preparation, wrapping, and frying processes all involve unique techniques. When served, the paper is opened to release an irresistible aroma. In October 1943, Baotou was liberated for the first time. On November 17, Commander He Long of the United Defense Forces and Commander Yang Chengwu of the Third Corps of the North China Military Region came to Baotou to visit the soldiers. Zhao Guanying, commander of the Baotou Garrison District, specially invited them to Judecheng to try the paper-wrapped lamb. After tasting it, He Long and Yang Chengwu were full of praise: "The flavor of the paper-wrapped lamb is exquisite. We truly had our eyes opened and enjoyed a feast for the palate." (Yang Chengwu: "Commander He's Inspection of Baotou’s All-Vegetarian Banquet").
1 West Lake Fish. The Yellow River flows through Baotou, and Yellow River carp has long been famous throughout China. Especially in spring when the ice melts and the river thaws, the carp caught at that time are especially plump and fresh. Hence the saying, "When the leeks grow two inches tall, the carp are so fat they could break your waist." In fish shops and restaurants, carp weighing over 1.5 jin (about 0.75 kg) are considered true carp. Those under 1.5 jin are called flower fish, and those under 1 jin are called vegetable fish. In Baotou, restaurants are known for their carp dishes such as shredded carp, sweet-and-sour crispy carp, red-braised carp, sweet-and-sour carp, and steamed carp, all of which are quite famous. But the most distinctive among them is West Lake Fish. In 1918, Mr. Lin Jing came to Baotou, "entered through the east gate and stayed at Wan Yisheng Store." ... In the evening, he dined at a restaurant where Yellow River carp was served at 1,200 wen per plate, and the taste was quite good." (From *Diary of Northwest Travel at Huanhai Yisonglou*). In 1934, the writer Bing Xin also visited Baotou and wrote in her *Travelogue Along the Beiping-Suiyuan Railway* that the Yellow River carp she tasted was tender, rich, and melt-in-the-mouth delicious, with a flavor so wonderful that only West Lake Vinegar Fish could come close in comparison.
Braised Buddhist Pearls. Renowned chefs Wu Fengming and Liu Laibao from the Hui Muslim restaurant Yihe Xuan became highly popular among customers for their dishes made from offal, such as braised sheep brain, braised spinal cord, braised pork belly slices, and stir-fried tripe. Among them, the most famous was the Braised Buddhist Pearls created by Wu Fengming’s disciple Wang Guangshun. These pearls are made by mashing chicken breast meat into a paste, mixing it with egg white powder to form a dough-like consistency, then...
Rice noodle dumplings are commonly known as "stretchy dough pulling stones." The filling can be made with pork or mutton, mixed with cabbage, radish, and various seasonings, and then wrapped into dumplings using traditional methods. Additionally, flat beans with rich starch are selected to make starch cakes. These starch cakes are elastic and slightly translucent in the pot, and they won’t burn even after prolonged boiling. During cooking, first place sliced…
Oats, also known as oil wheat or simply oats, are naturally cold-resistant and thrive best in dry, barren areas. The area north and south of the Yin Mountains enjoys abundant sunshine, making it highly suitable for oat cultivation. Oats are typically consumed as oatmeal, boasting high protein content while being very low in fat. Yinshan oats are rich in various nutrients essential to human health, such as phosphorus, iron, calcium, vitamins, amino acids, and fatty acids...
In mid-March, taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the "First China (Baotou) Yellow River Carp Festival" hosted by the Baotou Municipal Government of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the reporter was invited to join domestic and international tourists from Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, as well as France, Spain, Denmark, and other places, to get a brief but vivid taste of the city known as the "Deer City"—Baotou. The broad waters of the Yellow River…