English Newspaper (2) Mongolian feast - whole sheep feast

Pork accounts for the majority of the meat we eat every day. Among the nomadic people in northern China, sheep are their main source of meat. The "whole sheep feast" is their famous traditional dish and is popular in places where Mongolian, Uyghur and other ethnic minorities live together. "Whole Sheep Banquet" refers to a banquet using a whole sheep to entertain guests. It is a traditional dish of the grassland people. The whole-sheep feasts of different ethnic groups have their own characteristics. Let’s take a look at what the Mongolian whole-sheep feast is like.

Mongolian women wearing traditional clothes

身穿傳統服飾的蒙古族婦女       

The Mongolian people mainly live in northern China. The northern grasslands are not suitable for farming. They make a living by raising cattle, sheep, horses and other livestock. The Mongols move from one grassland to another as the seasons change, leading a nomadic life. As the saying goes, "Living on mountains to eat mountains, relying on water to drink water", the Mongolians gradually developed a food culture in which cattle and sheep are the main food. They eat dairy products, beef, mutton, etc. on weekdays. When it comes to major celebrations or important banquets, they will cook all kinds of dishes. A sheep feast is held to entertain distinguished guests.    

蒙古族主要聚居在中國北方，北方草原不適合耕種，他們以飼養牛、羊、馬等牲畜為生。蒙古族隨着季節轉變，從一個草原遷徙至另一個草原，過着游牧生活。所謂「靠山吃山，靠水吃水」，蒙古人漸漸發展出以牛羊牲畜為主食的飲食文化，平日吃奶製品、吃牛肉、吃羊肉等，到了重大慶典或重要宴會時，便會做全羊宴來招待貴賓。

Mongolian herdsmen on the Hulunbuir grassland in Inner Mongolia

內蒙古呼倫貝爾草原上的蒙古族牧民

The whole-sheep feast has a long history. According to historical records, the famous Mongolian leader Genghis Khan and the founding emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan, both held whole-sheep feasts to entertain guests or worship gods. When modern Mongolian people hold weddings, they will also hold a whole sheep feast as the highest courtesy to entertain guests.

 全羊宴歷史悠久，據史料記載，蒙古族著名領袖成吉思汗和元朝開國皇帝忽必烈都曾經設過全羊宴，用來宴請賓客或祭祀神明。現代的蒙古族在辦婚禮時，也會設全羊宴來作為最高禮遇，招待來賓。

A whole-sheep feast is held, and the Qinghai Mongolian Spring Festival group visit event.

擺全羊宴，青海蒙古族春節團拜會活動。

Roasted whole lamb is a dish in the whole lamb feast, and it is also the most exquisite traditional dish at the banquet. The whole sheep is roasted under the fire and becomes a delicious dish with rich ethnic flavor. The general method of roasting sheep is for the husband to make a fire and burn a pile of stones into the fire. Then the goat is slaughtered, and the internal organs, meat pieces and bones from the sheep's belly are taken out. After cleaning, onions, garlic, salt, potatoes, and stones that are heated until hot are added, and they are stuffed into the sheep's belly one by one. The hot stones and ingredients are evenly filled into the sheep's belly. People seal the opening of the sheep's belly tightly and let the heat of the stones slowly cook the lamb from the inside out. Then, use fire to burn off the wool outside the sheep, and bake the outer skin until it becomes crispy. After about an hour, the roasted whole lamb will be cooked. After the roasted whole lamb is served, cut open the belly of the lamb, take out the stone, and taste the soup and potatoes inside. Then cut the lamb into small pieces, let the elders choose first, and then distribute them to the younger generations.

烤全羊是全羊宴裏的一道菜，也是宴席上最講究的一道傳統名菜。整隻羊在火的烤烘下，成為色香味俱佳的菜式，並散發着濃郁的民族風味。烤羊的一般做法，是先生起火堆，把一堆石頭往火裏燒。之後把山羊宰割，取出羊肚子裏的內臟、肉塊和骨頭，洗乾淨後，加上洋葱、蒜頭、鹽、馬鈴薯，以及燒至火熱的石頭，把它們逐一塞入羊肚子裏。火熱的石頭和食材平均地填滿在羊肚子裏，人們把羊肚子的開口處封緊，讓石頭的熱力慢慢地從內到外把羊肉煮熟。接着，再用火把羊體外的毛燒掉，把外皮烤得焦脆。約一小時後，烤全羊就煮熟了。烤全羊上桌後，把羊肚子剖開，取出石頭，便可品嘗裏面的湯、馬鈴薯，然後把羊切成小塊，讓長輩先選，再分給後輩。

There is more than one way to roast a whole lamb. In some cases, the whole lamb is cut open, skinned, and roasted over a fire until the skin is crispy and the meat is tender, and then cut into small pieces with a knife. Eat it without any seasoning to enjoy the natural flavor of the lamb. Nowadays, many restaurants in the mainland serve whole-sheep feasts, and the method of roasting the sheep may be different from the traditional method.

 烤全羊的做法不只一種，有的會把整隻羊剖開、去皮，放在火上烘烤，烤到皮脆肉嫩後，再以刀割成小塊。吃時不加任何調味，以品嘗羊肉的天然味道。現時內地不少餐廳有全羊宴供應，烤羊的方法跟傳統製法或有不同。

In Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, tourists enjoy the Mongolian specialty food "roast whole lamb".

內蒙古呼倫貝爾，遊人在享用蒙古族特色食品「烤全羊」。

If you are interested in experiencing the highest courtesy of the grassland people, go and taste the whole sheep feast!

假如大家有興趣感受草原民族的最高禮遇，就去品嘗一下全羊宴吧！

^{圖片來源：蒙古族婦女圖:視覺中國擺全羊宴圖; 李全舉/FOTOE拆解烤全羊圖：視覺中國;新聞來源：https://fireflies.chiculture.org.hk/app/assignments/2023-12-28}