A taste of Baotou

For herdsmen, boiled lamb is a plain, traditional meal, one that has endured for a thousand years. [Photo/Weibo.com]

Boiled lamb is what Mongolians call "red food", or "meat" that is meant to be eaten with the hands. For herdsmen, boiled lamb is a plain, traditional meal, one that has endured for a thousand years.

To make it, the mutton is removed from the bone and put into a pot of boiling water, without sauce or salt. To eat it, you grasp the bone with one hand and cut the meat with the other, then dip the mutton into whatever seasoning is offered. Herdsmen usually have this dish for dinner.