Lamb bones

Lamb bones

　　Do you know how to eat lamb bones? Go to Cangzhou and see their way of enjoying them—it’ll make your mouth water. When the lamb bones arrive, there are two big plates piled high with a yellowish-black mix of lamb spine bones, tail bones, and rib bones, each plate weighing four or five pounds. Watch how they eat: they grab the bones with both hands, plant their feet in a wide stance, lean back with their backs arched like drawing a bow, and plunge their mouths into the bones as if filling a chasm......

　　As the saying goes, eat meat with big bites and drink with big gulps—that’s the truly satisfying way to do it. The flavor is simply unforgettable. There’s very little meat on the bones, and it’s hard to get at with your mouth, but just a light peck at the bone brings the meat, along with a burst of deliciousness, rolling into your mouth, instantly filling it with aroma. Even better, once you’ve picked off the meat, give the bone a gentle tug, and the marrow is revealed. The climax of this feast is sucking the marrow—cracking the bone and sucking out the marrow. No wonder the whole room is filled with the sound of slurping. It’s so delicious, yet so hard to put into words—if you describe it, you might lose your appetite, but while you’re eating, you won’t want to describe it, and by the time you think of it, it’s too late. Such is life—impossible to have it all. But I’ll stop here. Just remember, next time you’re in Cangzhou, be sure to gnaw on those bones and suck the marrow.