Ningxia Lamb Wine

Ningxia Lamb Wine

　　With a production history of over a thousand years, records of Ningxia Lamb Wine can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. It is crafted from locally sourced lamb meat from Lingwu, Ningxia (a byproduct of the region’s famous Ermao fur), goji berries from Ningxia, and long red dates from Lingwu. The wine is amber in color, sweet upon entry with a mild spice, devoid of any gamy smell, and boasts high medicinal value. As a medicinal wine, it was documented as early as Li Shizhen’s Compendium of Materia Medica. An imperial decree by Emperor Yongzheng stating, “There is a type of lamb wine produced in Ningxia. Someone once presented it in the past, but it has not been offered for twenty years now. I greatly enjoy drinking it. Procure some and send it over. There is no need for a large quantity—just send more if it runs out. Do not issue an order exceeding one hundred bottles. This is a special, confidential instruction,” proves that this wine was once an imperial tribute.

　　Ningxia Lamb Wine is made by mixing pre-processed lamb meat with ingredients such as red dates and goji berries, along with glutinous rice, using a method of wheat koji saccharification and manually controlled natural fermentation. Its alcohol content ranges between 28° and 35°. The brewing technique is highly demanding, primarily involving the making of the fermenting mash, stirring (kāibā), pressing, post-fermentation in jars, blending, heating (jiānjiǔ), and aging in jars.

　　According to Volume 3 of the Lingwu Literary and Historical Materials, before 1874, ancestors Tang Qian and Tang Niang of the Tang family were already producing this wine. The lamb wine they made at the time was carefully selected, purely blended, crystal clear, rich in fruity aroma, and completely free of any gamy smell. In 1911, during the Qing government’s crackdown on revolutionaries, a massacre took place in Lingzhou and the Tang family’s distillery was destroyed, leading to the gradual decline of their brewing business. Later, wars, the abolition of private ownership, and the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution caused Ningxia Lamb Wine to vanish from the market. The Tang family’s secret brewing recipe was passed down to Tang Shijun, the great-grandson of Tang Qian, following the ancestral tradition of passing it only to male descendants. Between 1999 and 2003, Tang Shijun revived the brewing technique of lamb wine based on the family recipe and guidance from his father. The Ningxia Lamb Wine brewed by the Tang family is characterized by its clarity and amber color, and is known to strengthen the spleen and kidneys, nourish the liver and improve vision, as well as enrich yin and invigorate yang. Regular drinkers often exhibit rosy complexions, resonant voices, and longevity. This product follows ancient brewing formulas, using locally abundant lamb meat, high-quality wheat, barley, and peas for koji-making, along with glutinous rice, goji berries, and long red dates from Lingwu as ingredients. The brewing process inherits traditional methods while boldly incorporating modern technology. It involves clear steaming and mixed fermentation, temperature-controlled fermentation, stopping primary fermentation, mature pressing, cellar aging, careful blending, and bottling. The unique and scientific brewing techniques and ingredients define the distinct style of Ningxia Lamb Wine.

　　The wine is also rich in trace elements such as calcium, zinc, copper, and selenium, as well as various vitamins and amino acids needed by the human body. It blends the delicious flavor of lamb meat with the medicinal properties and fruity aroma of goji berries and red dates, delivering a comfortable taste experience where the flavors of meat and fruit alternate, resulting in a uniquely distinctive flavor.

　　As the only existing Chinese tribute wine with genuine imperial decree inscriptions, Ningxia Lamb Wine offers significant authenticity and serves as valuable material for studying China’s ancient brewing history. It is also a living fossil for researching the living habits, dietary structures, social production, religious beliefs, and folk customs of ancient people. The production technique of lamb wine has a history of hundreds of years. Despite the vicissitudes of time, this craftsmanship has been passed down through generations, demonstrating the strong vitality of traditional Chinese historical culture.

　　The brewing technique of Ningxia Lamb Wine is intricate, with meticulous operations and exquisite products. Especially notable is the mellow and lingering taste of the wine, reflecting the peaceful mindset of the local ethnic minority people and their pursuit of delicate, graceful, and luxurious aesthetics. The indigenous residents of the Ningxia region make full use of locally unique produce for brewing, which not only enriches the local wine culture but also highlights the profound depth of Chinese national wine culture.

　　The formula of Ningxia Lamb Wine brewing is unique. Testing and verification by the First Ningxia Food Quality Inspection Station, the Second Ningxia Food Quality Inspection Station, and the Ningxia Center for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed that Ningxia Lamb Wine is rich in a variety of vitamins, trace elements, and amino acids, validating the description in Li Shizhen’s Compendium of Materia Medica, Volume 25: “Lamb wine greatly replenishes vital energy, strengthens the spleen and stomach, and benefits the waist and kidneys.” Its health benefits and nutritional value are very evident.

　　Information source: Yinchuan Municipal Government Portal Website