Quwo's soup puts it on the map

Coming from a small place presents a few challenges when you have to introduce it to others.

When people ask where I'm from I usually answer "Shanxi province", but nine out of 10 times, it is just the beginning of a questioning process that goes like this: "Which part of Shanxi?"

"Linfen city, in the south of Shanxi," I respond, wishing they would relent.

"Wow, the place where Fenjiu Liquor is produced?"

At this point, I will have to correct them, saying that Fenjiu liquor is in fact brewed in Shanxi's Fenyang city and that my hometown is actually Quwo county - a small town under the administrative oversight of Linfen city.

It is not that I am ashamed of my birthplace, far from it. I am quite proud of its ancient history. It is just that I can think of little to distinguish it today from better-known places.

If you dig into the annals of Chinese history, you may be surprised to discover that Quwo enjoyed a notable position.

It once served as the capital of the Jin State (11th century BC-349 BC) during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). Archeologists from Peking University excavated 19 tombs of Jin rulers in a small village in Quwo from 1992 to 1999. The majority of unearthed artifacts have been displayed at the local museum since then.

Unfortunately, this extra luster to my self-introduction usually serves little purpose, as most people seem uninterested in this period of history.

To a certain extent, Quwo county is a nondescript place and you will not be able to find it on most regular maps of China. Situated in the far south of Shanxi, Quwo's dialect is more similar to the Henan and Shaanxi vernacular than the so-called authentic Shanxi tongue, which is mostly spoken in the central and northern part of the province.

On the other hand, the food is distinctive.

Like most Shanxi natives, in Quwo we have a natural affinity for vinegar. And don't forget noodles. Here in Quwo, you can enjoy all kinds of Shanxi-style noodles, knife-shaved noodles, knife-peeled noodles, hand-made noodles, cat-ear shaped pasta ... you name it.

While vinegar and noodles can be commonly seen all across Shanxi, there is one dish that is unique to Quwo - lamb soup. This is somehow a misnomer, as there is no lamb or mutton, or, in fact, any meat in it.

To make the soup, you have to get hold of sheep bones and put them in a giant wok for five to six hours until the soup turns milk white. Put in some cooked offal, cayenne pepper, salt and chopped spring onion before serving the soup. It's irresistible.

You have to use the water from a particular village in Quwo, however, if you want to make the most tasty and delicious soup: using water from somewhere else would be a complete waste.

Restaurants that specialize in selling the soup have to buy water from the village. I have heard numerous accounts of how people from neighboring counties or provinces come to Quwo just for the soup and it is the first thing I do when I return on holiday.

You don't believe what I say? Why not try it out yourself?