Fish-Mutton Buns

Fish-Mutton Buns

　　Fish-Mutton Buns are known as a "Chinese Famous Snack" born from a single Chinese character.

　　 These buns are made from a meat filling that combines fresh fish, fresh mutton, family-secret broth, and a variety of seasonings. With a unique pairing of ingredients, balanced nutrition, exquisite preparation, delicious taste, thin wrappers, and tender fillings.

　　Yuci is home to many local specialties and snacks, and among its most famous is the “Fish-Mutton Bun.” The “Fish-Mutton Bun” was first created in 1866. Wang Dacai, a renowned chef from Shouyang, followed Qi Junzao—the tutor to three emperors—on culinary journeys across China. While learning and mastering dishes from both northern and southern China, he also focused on researching health-promoting foods. One year, Qi Junzao’s elderly mother, despite taking numerous tonics, failed to recover her strength and often lost her appetite. The family chef, Wang Dacai, taking into account her fondness for buns and dumplings, created the nourishing “Fish-Mutton Buns” and “Fish-Mutton Dumplings” using fish and mutton to help her regain her health. After a period of recuperation, she recovered well.

　　Wang Tongyun, the inheritor of the “Fish-Mutton Bun” recipe, dedicated himself to solving the technical challenges of the strong fishy smell of fish and the gamey taste of mutton. He enhanced the filling through marination and nutrient infusion, producing a unique “delicious essence”—that essence is “freshness.” As a result, people today can enjoy what are arguably the freshest and most delicious buns in the world.

　　The meat filling used in the “Fish-Mutton Buns,” a distinctive delicacy, was granted a “Utility Model Patent” by the National Intellectual Property Administration in 2005. Six trademarks, including “Fish-Mutton Buns” and “Zhixian Pavilion,” have been registered with the National Trademark Office. Additionally, the “Fish-Mutton Buns” have received 11 honors from government and industry organizations, such as the “Chinese Noodles and Dumplings Innovation Award” and “Chinese Famous Snack.” In 2007, they successfully advanced to the top 108 in the third season of CCTV’s CCTV-2 show “Win in China.” Today, the Fish-Mutton Bun has been designated as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Jinzhong City.