The grilled whole lamb from Bashang can rival Beijing's roast duck. Nowadays, the lamb breed in Bashang is mainly "Xiao Menglu." Its characteristics include uniform size, tender meat, no gamy smell, golden-yellow color, crispy skin, tender flesh, rich aroma, and an exceptionally delicious taste—it’s a premium dish for entertaining honored guests.
2. Wild Fish
Guyuan Wetland has numerous lakes of various sizes. The wild fish here has tender flesh and a deliciously fresh flavor. No matter how it’s cooked—whether you’re eating the meat or drinking the soup—it leaves a lingering fragrance on your palate.
3. Oat Fish Noodles
Mix oat flour with warm water (preferably using water from Bashang), pinch it into small pieces, roll them into coils on a stone board using your thumb, then steam them in a steamer basket. Once steamed, arrange them on a plate and pour over a prepared sauce.
4. Oat Bread Basins
Everyone in Bashang knows that oat products go through three stages of cooking: stir-frying, blanching, and steaming. Stir-frying refers to roasting oat grains in a pan before they are ground into flour—the grain must be partially roasted to about two-tenths done before milling and sifting into flour. Blanching means using boiling water to mix the dough, which makes it more elastic and easier to shape during cooking. Steaming means shaping the oat product and then steaming it in a basket before serving it with seasonings or sauces. As for roasting the oats, you don’t need to worry about that—the key is to use boiling, piping-hot water when mixing the dough.
5. Horse Milk Wine
The Mongolian people have lived on the grasslands for generations, relying on animal husbandry for their livelihood. Horse milk wine, hand-grabbed lamb, and grilled lamb are among their favorite daily beverages, foods, and dishes for entertaining guests. Every July and August, when cattle are fat and horses are strong, it is the season for brewing horse milk wine. Diligent Mongolian women collect the mare’s milk in leather bags, stir it, and after a few days, the cream separates and ferments into wine.
6. Grassland Baijiu (White Liquor)
Grassland Baijiu, brewed purely from grains, won’t give you a hangover. In addition to the 60-proof high-alcohol version, there are also 45-proof lower-alcohol versions, 39-proof "Little Grass," 38-proof "Grassland King" (available in both yellow and green box packaging), and jar-packed versions. It is beloved by the grassland people and makes a great gift for family and friends. In case of emergencies, it can also serve to boost courage, disinfect, or repel mosquitoes.