China's Top Lamb Province: Just How Extravagant Is Their Mutton Cuisine?

In Inner Mongolia, people use freezers to store "the first sheep of autumn" and countless others that follow, with some households even owning multiple freezers. Buying whole sheep for holidays and stocking up on mutton daily is the most reliable habit for Inner Mongolians.

Inner Mongolia is China's top sheep-producing region, where vast grasslands are ideal for raising high-quality mutton. Hohhot is dotted with Xilin Gol mutton shops—connoisseurs choose Ujimqin sheep for grilled lamb chops, while purists prefer Sunit sheep thinly sliced for hot pot, a uniquely sweet flavor unforgettable after just one taste.

Roast whole lamb is the highest standard of hospitality in Inner Mongolia.

Beyond star breeds, each region has its "beloved sheep." Hulunbuir sheep, roaming freely on grasslands, yield firm meat; Alxa white cashmere goats defy expectations of goat meat while producing cashmere. Bamei, Dumon, Dorper, and Chahar sheep dominate their respective areas, alongside mutton shaomai, offal soup, air-dried mutton porridge, and chewy stuffed tripe...

Despite diverse preparations, the essence of Inner Mongolian mutton lies in boiling it plain—just with salt. Premium mutton is just that uncompromising!

Spanning 2,400 km east to west, Inner Mongolia has its own mutton map—traveling across it offers a complete taste of the finest.

"Hulunbuir~ my home~" The iconic grassland melody plays in one's mind at the mention of Hulunbuir. This eastern Inner Mongolian prairie, China's largest natural meadow, lets sheep roam freely, grazing and building robust muscles.

Hulunbuir sheep resemble the classic image of sheep, with the Barga breed having longer tails and richer fat than short-tailed varieties.

With balanced fat and muscle, Hulunbuir sheep are perfect for "shouba rou"—chopped bone-in mutton boiled in plain water over a dung-fueled fire, finished with a sprinkle of salt.

The most authentic way is to slice a piece with a Mongolian knife and savor it slowly. The meat is firm, juicy, and utterly non-gamey, with a surprising hint of dairy in the aftertaste. This milky flavor alone makes Hulunbuir worth visiting.

Moving west to central Inner Mongolia, Xilingol League's vast grasslands are a sheep paradise, home to premium breeds like Ujimqin and Sunit sheep.

In Sonid Right Banner, herds of sheep march in lines.

Sizzling grilled lamb chops stay tender, not dry; boiled plainly, they reveal mutton's rich essence.

In Inner Mongolia, indulge in mutton's hearty flavors.

Further west lies Ordos' desert steppe—rugged and arid, yet breeding the remarkable Alxa white cashmere goat.

Ordos' lively sheep markets buzz with trade.

The story begins with China's reform era, as rising demand for textiles spurred cashmere production. In 1979, the Yikezhao League Cashmere Factory launched in Ordos with a ¥33.55 million investment; by the late 1980s, its output value reached billions.

Alxa goats provided top-tier cashmere, only reaching tables post-retirement—since goat meat was long synonymous with gaminess. But locals discovered its surprisingly mild flavor, making it a staple.

A local pride, Alxa goat meat shines in simple boils. Just add peppercorn salt to water, then simmer with mutton chunks, eggplant, or potatoes—proving the saying: "Mutton with eggplant, delicious enough to thrill elders."

Inner Mongolia's mutton map features these four breeds from east to west, with other delicious varieties in between.

Inner Mongolia boasts a rich variety of sheep breeds.

Well-known regional lamb varieties such as Duman lamb from Siziwang Banner, Xing'an League lamb, Guyang lamb, Damao Banner lamb, Alxa League lamb, and Xilin Gol lamb are all completely free of gaminess, each with subtle flavor differences. Sooner or later, a "lamb flavor wheel" will need to be established.

Why dare to claim the title of "China's No. 1"?

Inner Mongolia, home to half of China's vastness, also raises the best and most sheep in the country. Inner Mongolia has consistently ranked first in lamb production nationwide. In 2020, its output reached 1.1297 million tons—nearly double that of the second-place region. With China's total lamb production at 4.9231 million tons, one out of every five sheep in China comes from Inner Mongolia.

Every morning, the flocks set out to graze on the grasslands.

As emphasized earlier, the secret to Inner Mongolia lamb's deliciousness lies simply in it being Inner Mongolia lamb—nothing more. The off-putting gaminess is absent, and no seasoning or fancy cooking method can replicate the natural, innate umami of the meat.

The goats of western Inner Mongolia are also beloved by locals.

By 2015, three premium local meat sheep breeds—Ujimqin sheep, Sunit sheep, and Hulunbuir sheep—had already exceeded 29 million in number, all being geographically protected products. Additionally, over 18 million other bred or introduced meat sheep existed, with improved fine-wool sheep accounting for nearly 96% of the total. Under such conditions, high-quality sheep are everywhere.

Herders in pastoral areas rise early each day, cutting boiled hand-grabbed lamb into small pieces and soaking them in milk tea. After a hearty meal, they head out to tend their flocks. Inner Mongolia's grasslands span 88 million hectares, about 22.4% of China's total grassland area, ranking second nationally. From east to west, they range from meadow steppes to typical steppes, desert steppes, and deserts, each hosting different types of forage—like a luxurious open-air buffet for the sheep.

Scientific research shows that the compounds responsible for gaminess in lamb are primarily C6, C8, and C10 short-chain volatile fatty acids, mainly found in sheep fat. When the feed contains more alkali seepweed or sulfur, the gaminess diminishes or disappears entirely.

Tests reveal that Yanchi Tan lamb from Ningxia has extremely low levels of C6, C8, and C10, corresponding to the abundance of saline-alkali vegetation like sand sagebrush, licorice, and bitter bean in the area. Meanwhile, lamb from Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia is generally non-gamy because Xinjiang has 100 million mu of saline-alkali land, and Inner Mongolia's grasslands are rich in sulfur-containing forage like Mongolian onion and chives.

In many regions, lamb accounts for a relatively small share compared to common meats like pork, beef, and chicken. But in Inner Mongolia, lamb is the undisputed "sales champion." With the advancement of cold-chain technology, Inner Mongolia lamb now travels beyond the grasslands, reaching nationwide and even international markets, becoming roasted lamb legs, chops, and skewers on tables in places like the Middle East.

Inner Mongolia's sheep slaughter rate has long been maintained at 100% or higher.

Inner Mongolia lamb is truly China's No. 1 lamb!

How strong is Inner Mongolia's lamb kingdom?

Archaeological findings show that as early as 7,000 years ago during the Neolithic Age, Inner Mongolia's ancestors began raising sheep. By the late Qing Dynasty, the basic structure of pastoral, agricultural, and semi-pastoral areas had formed. Thousands of years of nomadic history have deeply integrated sheep into daily life.

At Mongolian gatherings in Hulunbuir, lamb is always the main dish.

A local saying goes: "With meat and fat, winter and spring bring no worries." The vast grasslands lack arable land, so nomadic peoples relying on water and grass depend on livestock for food and clothing materials. Thus, a key aspect of grassland culture is respect and affection for animals.

Unlike the enthusiasm for lamb in Gansu, Ningxia, and Xinjiang, Inner Mongolians prefer mature sheep, with three- or four-year-old ewes or wethers being the top choice, as they are reluctant to slaughter young lambs. Sheep are gifts from the grasslands, and they maintain this balance with reverence in their own way.

When the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was established in 1947, there were 5.708 million sheep, accounting for 67.8% of all livestock. Soon after, Inner Mongolia cashmere rode the winds of the new era and took off. The cashmere from Ordos Arbas white cashmere goats proved ideal for textiles, gaining immense popularity and sparking a booming cashmere industry.

By the mid-to-late 1980s, the cashmere industry in Ordos had reached a value of several billion, with the Albas white cashmere goats becoming the stars of Inner Mongolia's sheep. At that time, Inner Mongolian sheep were labeled as "high-quality cashmere producers," while their advantages—such as nutrient-rich, delicious, non-gamey, and safe meat—were overlooked.

In 2002, the inventory of sheep in Inner Mongolia had already reached 56.25 million.

As the economy boomed, cheaper and better alternatives to cashmere emerged, and Inner Mongolian lamb was finally embraced by Chinese consumers amid rising demand for premium products, transforming into the main attraction.

Unexpectedly, the most critical turning point for Inner Mongolia's lamb industry was the rise of hot pot lamb. In 2008, the renowned hot pot chain "Little Sheep" went public in Hong Kong, followed by the success of Xiaoweiyang, Dezhuang, and others, driving explosive growth in Inner Mongolia's lamb industry.

At the time, hot pot lamb was a trendy novelty—families or groups of friends would gather around a table, dipping thinly sliced lamb into a clear broth, enjoying both the flavor and the lively atmosphere.

Hot pot lamb combined the universally beloved hot pot with lamb, vastly expanding its culinary applications. Meanwhile, leading Inner Mongolian lamb producers aggressively promoted the region's non-gamey, high-quality meat, cementing its reputation nationwide. From then on, Inner Mongolian lamb took center stage among sheep products and gradually became China's top lamb producer.

Without Inner Mongolia, China would lose a significant part of its "lamb flavor."

If you have friends from Inner Mongolia, cherish them—they genuinely mail lamb to loved ones, ensuring your freedom to enjoy it even far from home. It’s an unspoken act of care.

For Inner Mongolians, avoiding lamb outside their hometown isn’t pretentious—it’s a principle. But receiving lamb shipped from Inner Mongolia? That’s bragging rights.

For Inner Mongolians away from home, the aroma of a steaming pot of local lamb is the deepest nostalgia.

Unsourced images | Visual China

This article is original content from [Di Dao Feng Wu].