Ox paste (goat paste)

Ox paste (goat paste)

　　The yellow cattle and goats in the Rongshui mountainous area feed on high-quality green grass, tree leaves, and vine leaves, and drink mountain spring water, resulting in particularly tender, sweet, and fresh meat. Making ox paste or goat paste is a highly intricate manual process. First, whenever an ox (or goat) is slaughtered, the partially undigested greenish plant residues from its stomach are extracted and squeezed to obtain the juice. This is then repeatedly filtered using loofah sacs or gauze, and a small amount of rice wine is added before boiling it in a pot. The bubbles that float to the top are skimmed off, and the remaining broth is set aside. Next, fresh beef (or fresh mutton) and its internal organs are sliced thinly and marinated with ginger, raw tea oil, and raw salt for later use. Then, tea oil is used to stir-fry dried chili peppers, after which the marinated meat and the previously boiled plant juice are added to the pot and cooked together. When the meat is nearly done, tea pepper powder (a traditional Chinese medicinal ingredient also known as Evodia rutaecarpa), as well as spicy herbs such as smartweed, coriander, and garlic sprouts, are added. Once fully cooked, it becomes a uniquely flavored Miao ethnic dish — ox paste (goat paste). The taste of ox paste (goat paste) is sweet with a slight bitterness, as well as spicy and fragrant, making it addictive. Not only is ox paste (goat paste) delicious, but it also contains many herbal medicinal components, hence it is also called “hundred-herb soup.” Regular consumption is believed to help clear the liver and improve vision, reduce inflammation and detoxify the body, and aid digestion. Nowadays, ox paste (goat paste) is commonly served in various restaurants across Rongshui and is very popular among diners.