Liu Family Lamb

Liu Family Lamb

　　The “Liu Family Lamb” in Qudi Town is a time-honored craft, passed down to the generation of Liu Yuzhen. Originally, Liu Yuzhen’s great-grandfather had two special skills: cooking lamb and frying prawns, making his snacks famous within dozens of miles at the time. How he learned this craft remains unknown. Back then, the Japanese invaders hadn’t yet been driven out, and the lamb he cooked was sometimes seized and eaten by them. After finishing, they would give a thumbs-up and repeatedly shout “Yoshi!”

　　Later, Liu Yuzhen’s great-uncle inherited the skill of frying prawns, while her grandfather learned how to cook lamb. The two brothers made a living through these two skills. At that time, there was a local management organization called the “Gao Tuan” in Baiqiao District, which required anyone doing business at the market to obtain a permit each time. Liu Yuzhen’s two grandfathers would rise before dawn, carry their loads to Baiqiao to get stamped, and then hurry off to the market.

　　Liu Yuzhen’s father, Liu Pisen, started learning how to cook lamb from his father in his teens and mastered the entire craft skillfully. During the period when capitalism’s “tail” was being curbed and private businesses were not allowed, Liu Pisen secretly cooked and sold lamb when things eased up slightly to supplement the family income. But the family often lived in fear, worried about being discovered.

　　“This market today, that market tomorrow, earning four or five yuan a day—how could we have the mind to learn from Dazhai?” During the Learn from Dazhai campaign, the commune demanded that all members work hard, enthusiastically, and focus on learning from Dazhai. As a result, private businesses were restricted, and local markets across the commune were consolidated into one day, preventing people from attending multiple markets. Business became difficult during this time. Liu Pisen was assigned to slaughter sheep for the commune’s food supply, working for the collective. Whenever possible, he would network with the commune and brigade, buy a sheep himself, cook it, and ride his bike to Ji’yang to sell it. The Liu Family Lamb craft continued intermittently under Liu Pisen but was never abandoned.

　　The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China came like a spring thunder, revitalizing the land. All industries sprang up like mushrooms after rain, thriving vigorously. Land was distributed to households, allowing people to farm freely. Skilled traders were also free to do business boldly and confidently. Starting in 1981, Liu Pisen put his old craft to use and focused on running the Liu Family Lamb business.

　　Liu Pisen had six children, with Liu Yuzhen being the eldest. Her husband, An Huachen, was from Anjiavillage in a neighboring village. After marriage, he joined the Liu family to help his father-in-law cook lamb. A few years later, as Liu Pisen grew older and his sons were still young and in school, Liu Pisen passed on all his knowledge unreservedly to An Huachen and his wife. In 1990, Liu Pisen passed away, and the couple inherited the lamb shop, continuing to operate it at the Liu family home. By 2000, An Huachen built a five-story building at the south side of the east end of Anjiavillage, along with a lamb processing base that included a processing room, cold storage, sales room, and warehouse. The couple then moved back to Anjiavillage. Because the business had remained at the Liu family home for decades under Liu Pisen and then An Huachen, even though An Huachen now operates the lamb shop in Anjiavillage, he continues to use the name “Liu Family Lamb Shop,” which has been recognized by relevant authorities and consumers.

　　An Huachen and his wife, having been taught by Liu Pisen for many years, have mastered the craft from buying sheep to slaughtering and processing. “Liu Family Lamb” uses only free-range mountain goats. These goats mainly graze on wild grass without being fed feed or additives, so their meat contains no harmful elements like hormones, making it pure natural green food. As a result, the meat is delicious, pure, and highly nutritious. For a time, they imported Inner Mongolian sheep from elsewhere, but in practice, Inner Mongolian sheep didn’t taste good. Even when cooked the same way, they still had a grassy smell and no fragrance. During market days, many customers said, “Is this really lamb? There’s no lamb flavor at all.” “Feedback is actually a good thing—it helps us improve,” Sister Liu Yuzhen told us sincerely. “Later, we stopped using Inner Mongolian sheep.” Through experience, the couple also found that local sheep weighing under 30 jin (about 15 kg) yield the best flavor when cooked.

　　The reason An Huachen’s lamb is famous, apart from using pure mountain goats, is mainly the seasonings used in the cooking process. This is the unique secret. Dozens of natural Chinese herbs are proportionally blended, and the amount of seasoning is determined by the quantity of meat being cooked. The resulting lamb is neither gamey nor greasy, with a fragrant and delicious taste that whets the appetite, making it highly favored by consumers. However, because it’s a small-scale operation and local mountain goats are free-range with limited numbers, the meat supply is quite scarce, and it hasn’t yet reached a large scale. Lamb is only cooked once per market cycle (every five days). Sometimes, if you go on a regular day, you often can’t buy any. The limited lamb is mostly supplied to major restaurants, hotels, and inns in Ji’yang and Qudi, with very little available for retail at the market. So although An Huachen’s lamb is pricey, it sells out quickly at the market.

　　“After the sheep is slaughtered, the lamb must not come into contact with raw water. Once it does, the taste changes. Therefore, newly slaughtered lamb must go directly into the herb pot,” Sister Liu Yuzhen smiled as she revealed a bit of the “secret recipe.”

　　“Have you considered setting up a shop or branch in Ji’yang County or a larger city?” “We’ve often thought about it but haven’t decided yet. Business was pretty good before, and many outsiders came to buy. We’ll just take it one step at a time.” “Stay grounded and be content with what you have,” An Huachen’s simple words carry a lot of wisdom.

　　A time-honored craft creates excellence, with “flavor” wafting fragrantly for miles

　　——Qudi Town’s “Liu Family Lamb”——a renowned local delicacy.