Travel to Beijing (4) - Instant-boiled mutton 北京之旅 (4) - 涮羊肉

Beijing, as an ancient city for over thousands years, capital of China for 800 years, has a long history of culture, and of course includes the food culture. In Beijing, you can find a lot of unique foods, making people completely forget about healthy life, or weight loss diet. In previous posts I had introduced the Goubuli buns. Today, I will introduce the Beijing famous dish - instant-boiled mutton!

中國北京作為千年古都，中國八百年的首都，文化源遠流長，當然也包括了飲食文化。在北京，你可看到很多獨特美食，讓人完全忘記了健康飲食、減肥餐單。之前介紹了狗不理包子，這次我要介紹一下北京著名的涮羊肉！

Let’s talk about the history of instant-boiled mutton: During the Yuan Dynasty (the Mongol empire, founded by Genghis Khan), mutton was the main food of Mongolians. In around 13th century, Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis Khan) was attacking south China. He missed the northern mutton and so asked the chef to prepare mutton for him. Suddenly enemy was coming but the chef just killed the sheep. Kublai Khan was hurrying for the enemy but he still didn’t enjoy the mutton! Then he shouted “mutton! Mutton!” The chef knew that it was a critical moment. If he couldn’t prepare the mutton before Hublai Khan coming out fighting the enemy, he would die. So he quickly cut the mutton into thin slices and boiled it with boiling water. Kublai Khan quickly finished the mutton slices and fought and won!

After coming back the military camp, Kublai Khan couldn’t forget the taste of the boiled mutton and asked for the dish again during the celebration dinner. This time the chef got sufficient time to prepare it. He served the boiled mutton slices with condiments and all soldiers enjoyed it so much! Since then the “Instant-boiled mutton” became a famous dish in the palace.

Later in the Qing Dynasty (around 19th century), a chef of a mutton restaurant in Beijing stole the recipe. After that, instant-boiled mutton became a famous dish of Beijing.

先說說涮牛肉的來源：相傳元朝初年，羊肉是北方蒙古人的主食，那時候元世祖忽必烈正南下攻宋，某天在軍營時他突然懷念起家鄉的羊肉，就叫軍廚準備羊肉給他食。誰知軍廚剛殺完羊，敵軍卻突然攻至！忽必烈心急迎敵，又心懷羊肉，就不停大叫「羊肉！羊肉！」軍廚心知不妙，如不能在忽必烈出陣前弄好羊肉給他，一定人頭不保，情急之下，他將羊肉切成薄片，放在沸水中煮兩下就拿給忽必烈吃。忽必烈吃完後出陣迎敵，結果大勝而回。回軍營後，忽必烈竟念念不忘這羊肉薄片，就在慶功宴叫軍廚再弄一次。這次軍廚有充足時間慢慢準備羊肉，再配以佐料，軍中人人讚不絕口，自此這「涮羊肉」就成為了宮中名菜。

後來到了光緒年間，北京一間羊肉館的老闆買通了一位太監從宮中偷取了涮羊肉的配方，讓涮羊肉名傳民間，傳至今日已成北京名菜。

( photo source)

This time, we went to a restaurant called “313 Yuan Chuang” in Beijing to try the instant-boiled mutton.

這次我們到了北京一家叫「313羊莊」的餐廳一試涮羊肉的滋味，這間餐廳很有特色，門口充滿蒙古味道。

Actually we knew nothing about instant-boiled mutton so we let the waiter to order for us. He put some condiments and mutton bones on the table but we didn’t really know what they were.

坐下點菜時，其實我們完全不知道正宗涮羊肉是怎樣的，就由侍應幫我們點了。侍應先放了一些配料及羊骨在桌上，但我們其實不知道這些配料是什麼。

Then he fried the side dish and mutton bone and poured soup. Soon, the soup boiled. We just wanted to try the mutton but the waiter told us to wait.

然後侍應先把配菜和羊骨下鍋炒一炒，就倒上不知是水還是湯。很快，湯就滾了，我們正急不及待想夾羊骨吃時，侍應卻叫我們先等一等。

A fish coming! It was cut into slices. The waiter poured the soup into the bowl of ingredients and let us taste. Then he boiled the fish slices and poured it into another bowl of ingredient. Oh no! The soup absorbed the essence of the mutton! And the fish! We finish it in just a few minutes.

這時上了一條魚，沒有記錯是鱸魚，切成薄片。侍應先將湯倒進那碗配料中，讓我們品嘗，然後就把魚薄片灼熟，放到我們另一碗配料中。嘩！這湯吸收了羊肉的精華，實在是人間美食，還有那魚，我們不消幾分鐘就全吃光了！

And now time of the mutton! The tender meat! The wonderful taste! And it’s not greasy! I didn’t know how to describe it! Finally we ordered three more dishes of mutton!

這時候，終於可以吃羊了！這羊肉肉質鮮嫩，有一點肥肉卻不膩，咬感一流，更沒有羊壇味，我真不知如何用語言來形容，之後我們再叫了三碟羊肉，吃到走不動才肯收手！

I don’t know if it is an authentic instant-boiled mutton. I only know it’s very delicious! If you visit Beijing, don’t miss it!

我不知這是否正宗的涮羊肉吃法，只知道是很好吃的吃法！如果你們到北京，一定要試一試！

---

Thanks for spending your time to read my articles. I like to share stories of Hong Kong. I wish you may support me and I will keep going!
謝謝你能抽空閱讀這篇文章，我平日喜歡分享香港的故事，希望大家多多支持，我會繼續努力！

---

Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://aaronli.vornix.blog/travel-to-beijing-4-instant-boiled-mutton-%e5%8c%97%e4%ba%ac%e4%b9%8b%e6%97%85-4-%e6%b6%ae%e7%be%8a%e8%82%89/

---

Disclosure: Posts on TravelFeed may contain affiliate links. See affiliate disclosure.