Huguan Mutton Soup

Huguan Mutton Soup

　　Huguan Mutton Soup

　　Huguan Mutton Soup is a famous traditional snack from Shangdang, boasting a long history and enduring popularity. Alongside the sheep offal soup from the northern Shanxi region and the mutton soup served with flatbread in southern Shanxi, it is recognized as one of the three major styles of mutton soup in Shanxi. Huguan Mutton Soup is made using the whole sheep: head, hooves, innards with pepper, dumplings, meatballs, and stewed meat—truly “a clever mix of meat and vegetables, broth and solids… a whole sheep in one bowl.” Thanks to its rich nutrition, there’s a local saying: “Drink mutton soup in winter to keep warm and nourished; drink it in summer to soothe the stomach, relieve diarrhea, and reduce bloating.”

　　Speaking of Huguan Mutton Soup, there is a legend behind it. It is said that during the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the eminent statesman and military strategist Cao Cao, in his quest to unify the realm, personally led his troops on a northern expedition. When they reached the Ewu Ridge in the Taihang Mountains, they encountered steep terrain, a perilous landscape, and sparse settlements. After several days of marching, the soldiers were exhausted, supplies were running low, and water was scarce—they could hardly press forward. Watching his men gradually diminish in number, Cao Cao grew increasingly anxious and sighed in despair all day. Then one day, halfway up the mountain, he spotted a shepherd boy tending a single sheep. Cao Cao ordered his guards to summon the boy for a conversation. The moment the shepherd saw Cao Cao’s extraordinary bearing and commanding presence, he asked, “What do you want with me?” Cao Cao replied, “My soldiers haven’t had a bite to eat or a drop to drink in days. I’d like to borrow your sheep, slaughter it, and feed my men. When I conquer the realm in the future, I will reward you handsomely.” The shepherd replied, “One sheep won’t be enough for tens of thousands of soldiers. Look ahead—there are plenty of goats on the mountain. They’ll be more than enough to fill your soldiers’ stomachs.” Cao Cao looked in the direction the shepherd pointed and saw a vast expanse of white goats grazing on green grass. Overjoyed, he dismounted and bowed deeply to the shepherd. When he looked back, the shepherd was gone. In fact, the shepherd had been the Jade Emperor’s celestial official, Taibai Jinxing, who was passing through the Taihang Mountains on his way to Penglai when he noticed Cao Cao was about to face great danger and came to his aid. Cao Cao then saw a red cloud drifting eastward across the sky. He bowed in reverence and said, “Heaven helps me!” He then ordered all the goats to be slaughtered, their meat cooked in water from the mountain stream, and their innards boiled into a soup. His soldiers feasted heartily, their spirits lifted, and together they charged up the Taihang Mountains. To commemorate Cao Cao’s northern campaign, the locals have since made it a tradition to stew mutton, simmer mutton soup, boil dumplings, fry meatballs, and enjoy mutton soup every year after the Beginning of Autumn. Year after year, this culinary custom has been passed down to this day.