Baizi Mountain Lamb

Baizi Mountain Lamb

　　Baizi Mountain Lamb

　　Baizi Mountain Lamb is a famous traditional specialty of Zhongyang County, renowned both within and outside the province for its tender, fragrant taste and absence of strong mutton odor. Locals praise it as the “ginseng of the earth” and the “heart tonic pill,” making it highly popular among consumers.

　　Zhongyang County is located at the western foot of the Lüliang Mountains. The area is covered with low-growing juniper plants and ancient cedar forests. The goats raised here have been feeding on cedar seeds and leaves for generations, and they drink water from local mountain springs. This unique diet gives the lamb its distinctive flavor, hence the name “Baizi (Cedar Seed) Lamb.” Cedar seeds and leaves are known to nourish the heart, calm the nerves, and moisturize dryness. As the goats regularly consume these, their meat develops special qualities, making Baizi Lamb a treasured cold-dispelling and nourishing delicacy, and one of the “Hundred Treasures of Shanxi.”

　　Baizi Lamb has fine, dense meat texture with clear muscle fibers and a delicious taste, along with a unique cedar aroma. Dishes made with this lamb are not gamy or smelly, but exceptionally flavorful. Tests show that Baizi Mountain Lamb contains over 20% protein—about 5% higher than regular lamb—around 20% fat, and provides up to 1.03 million joules of energy. It also has 151 mg of phosphorus, along with various minerals and vitamins such as B1 and B2, making it an ideal health food. The medical community believes that Baizi Lamb can stimulate appetite, strengthen the spleen, regulate qi and blood, calm the spirit, dispel cold, and relieve pain. Local elders and new mothers often regard it as a premium tonic. It is said that if elderly people eat the meat of one Baizi Lamb each year, it may contribute to longevity. For this reason, during the lamb-slaughtering season, many food enthusiasts from both within and outside the province rush to purchase the lamb.

　　Currently, Zhongyang County has more than 15,000 Baizi Mountain Goats. To meet the needs of reform and opening-up, the county has established the Baizi Goat Association, dedicated to the development and research of Baizi Mountain Goats.