January 15, 2021
Stir-fried lamb bone rings served at Guqi, Beijing. Lamb, seen as something of a staple meat in the north of China, is gaining popularity elsewhere in the country.
Guqi (Beijing) Catering Management Group
Lamb is seen as a warming food in Chinese culture and helps people in the north ride out the country’s cold winters. Of all the regions in China, Xinjiang – according to the 2016 China Statistical Yearbook – consumes the most lamb, with an average per capita consumption of 13.2kg (29 pounds).
Sheep herding is a staple industry in the other top three regions (Inner Mongolia, Qinghai and Tibet), which are known for their nomadic pastures.