Xinyuan Lamb

Xinyuan Lamb

　　Xinyuan lamb is a specialty dish from Xinyuan New Town in Siyang County, Suqian City, Jiangsu Province. The cooking methods for the various Xinyuan lamb dishes are unique and highly renowned.

　　Xinyuan refers to the combined area of Xinji and Yuanji, which was known as Renhe Town in the early Qing Dynasty. Legend has it that when Emperor Qianlong traveled south along the Grand Canal during his imperial tours, he passed through the San Cha He (Three Forks River) section of Xinyuan. It was noon when he spontaneously disembarked from his boat. As he looked around, he was greeted by a scene of “wind blowing across the grass, revealing herds of cattle and sheep,” which instantly lifted his spirits. He decided to have a meal there. Local officials ordered a skilled chef to prepare a delicious local dish using lamb. After tasting it, Emperor Qianlong was overjoyed and exclaimed, “This is heavenly cuisine—Renhe lamb is the finest under heaven.” From then on, Xinyuan lamb gained fame throughout the land as a tribute to the imperial court, and its fragrance spread far and wide. The ancient town of Xinyuan also rose to prominence.

　　The praise-worthy Xinyuan lamb stands out in four aspects. First, its premium quality and delicious taste; second, it's suitable to eat all year round; third, it comes in a wide variety of dishes; and fourth, its unique cooking techniques. Xinyuan Town is bordered by Hongze Lake to the south, and traversed by the Grand Canal, the Ancient Yellow River, and Huangma River. Historically, there was Xintan Lake, and today there is Denglong Lake. The area features many riverside slopes and extensive tidal flats, rich in water plants and vegetation, with fresh and moist air—all conducive to raising high-quality goats. The processed and cooked goat meat is tender and flavorful, characterized by being crisp, juicy, tender, not greasy, and free of any strong gamy odor. In terms of seasonality, it’s suitable to enjoy all year, but summer lamb from Xinyuan is especially unique. Due to the strong gaminess often associated with lamb, most regions typically consume it in winter, often paired with spicy ingredients like bird’s-eye chilies, pepper, ginger, and scallions. As for summer, just mentioning the word "lamb" might make one think of its strong smell. But in Xinyuan, eating lamb in the summer is not a myth. The succulent and tender lamb offers not even a hint of gaminess. Visiting Xinyuan without trying the summer lamb would be a missed experience—let alone uttering an “amateur remark” like “can you really eat lamb in the summer?”

　　Nowadays, when we refer to “Xinyuan lamb,” we’re no longer talking about just the simple concept of “meat”—it’s become a whole “lamb series.” Starting from the sheep’s head—sheep’s tongue, sheep brain, sheep eyes, sheep blood, lamb ribs, lamb meat, lamb liver, sheep stomach, sheep heart, sheep lungs, sheep intestines, lamb legs, lamb testicles—you could say you're eating the whole animal from head to tail. With cooking methods such as braising, stir-frying, quick-frying, stewing, and cold tossing, the “lamb series” now includes over 30 different dishes.