Xiaquan Juice Beef

Xiaquan Juice Beef

　　Xiaquan Juice Beef is a renowned local Hui Muslim specialty from Xiaquan Town, Deyang City, Sichuan Province. With a long history and fame that reaches far and wide, this food is known for its numbing, spicy, fragrant, crispy texture and fruity taste, which is why it's called "Juice Beef." It serves as a great dish to enjoy with alcohol, meals, tea, or as a snack, and makes a fine gift for relatives and friends.

　　Xiaquan “Juice Beef” is a local Hui Muslim specialty with a long history and widespread fame. Featuring flavors that are numbing, spicy, fragrant, crispy, and fruity, it is named “Juice Beef.” This delicacy is perfect for pairing with drinks, enhancing meals, enjoying with tea, or as a snack, and also makes a great gift for loved ones.

　　Xiaquan “Juice Beef” was first created in the 10th year of the Republic of China (1921), with “Ma Changheng Juice Beef” being the most renowned. “Ma Changheng Juice Beef” is made with premium ingredients and crafted with meticulous care:

　　First, beef cattle are purchased and grazed by hired herders. They are fed high-quality feed until they become plump and well-marbled. Then, an “Akhund” (an Islamic religious professional) performs the slaughter. The prime cuts are selected, tendons and impurities are removed, and the meat is cut into fist-sized chunks. These are then placed in a vat for salt curing. Once fully salted, the meat is removed, the brine is filtered out, and it is boiled in a pot over high heat to remove all blood. After boiling, it is taken out to cool, and tendons and impurities are removed again.

　　Second, the meat is simmered in brine to absorb flavor. Initially boiled over high heat, it is then slow-cooked over low heat until the meat becomes tender and the flavor is fully absorbed. The meat is taken out of the boiling brine once done, allowed to cool naturally, and then any remaining tendons or impurities are removed. The clean muscle is then sliced horizontally along the grain into small strips about an inch long, resembling thick chopsticks—this becomes the base material.

　　Third, purified cooking oil is heated to a certain temperature, and the base material is added to the oil for deep-frying. The heat is carefully controlled to preserve the unique umami of the beef while achieving a crispy texture that is not too hard to bite, and dissolves easily in the mouth.

　　Fourth, the excess oil is filtered out after frying, and the beef is mixed with dozens of kinds of precious Chinese medicinal herbs processed into spices, along with Sichuan peppercorn powder, chili oil, roasted sesame seeds, and a small amount of maltose. In 1950, representatives of the Deyang County delegation to Korea during the war brought “Juice Beef” as a precious gift to the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army. Later, it participated in various provincial and municipal food exhibitions and competitions, receiving widespread acclaim.

　　In recent years, the quality of Xiaquan “Juice Beef” has been further improved, and its packaging upgraded. It has been included in the Chinese Dictionary of Local Specialties and featured in Du Fuxiang’s book Guide to China’s Famous Foods. The product is sold in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, and is widely loved by customers. To cater to the tastes of consumers across the province and beyond, new products such as “Mild Flavor” and “Northern Flavor” have also been introduced to meet diverse preferences.