Sheep's Small Intestine Pudding

Sheep's Small Intestine Pudding

　　Sheep's Small Intestine Pudding is a uniquely distinctive snack in Beijing.

　　The preparation method of Sheep's Small Intestine Pudding is also quite unique—it involves filtering freshly drawn sheep’s blood, mixing it with a small amount of starch, then filling it into cleaned sheep intestines. The filled intestines are then boiled in a pot with scallions, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, and star anise. When sold, it is sliced into small pieces, topped with broth, and served with seasonings such as sesame paste and cilantro. The outer part is white while the inside is red, offering a delicious taste. There is also a way to eat it similar to grilled blood sausage—by slicing the sheep’s small intestine pudding and pan-frying it. To buy sheep intestines, you should go to lamb butchers, as many of them slaughter the sheep themselves and conveniently use the sheep blood to fill the intestines. When selling, they are often hung on hooks for customers to choose from. Because the intestines are white and look as if covered with a layer of frost, some people also call it "Frost Intestine."

　　The origin of Sheep's Small Intestine Pudding can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. The Old Book of Tang records that An Lushan and Shi Suihan once paid a court visit to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. To mediate their conflict, the emperor hosted a banquet and ordered the royal gamekeeper to shoot a fresh deer, take its blood, and cook its intestines. This dish was called “Hot Luoro” and served to them, as Shi Suihan particularly enjoyed it. From this, it can be seen that Beijing’s Sheep's Small Intestine Pudding evolved from the Tang court dish “Hot Luoro.” Although made from lamb, Sheep's Small Intestine Pudding is not considered a halal food, as the Hui ethnic group does not consume sheep’s blood.