Mutton, indispensable dish for dining tables in winter

A pot of boiled mutton. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

It is the golden time of the year to eat mutton as the goat meat is fat and fragrant, making it the top choice on the dining table during the cooling temperatures.

Nantong mutton can be roughly divided geographically into four major schools: Nantong-style mutton, Haimen-style mutton, Rugao-style mutton, and Hai'an-style mutton, all highly sought after by diners.

Nantong-style mutton includes areas such as Lujingang, Tangzha, Gaodian, and Guanyinshan in the urban area and Xingren, Dongshe towns in Tongzhou. The most famous in Tongzhou is the Cao Family Mutton in Xingren town, where the whole street is filled with mutton restaurants. Regarding cooking styles, Nantong-style mutton is mainly made by boiling and braising.

Haimen-style mutton covers regions like Haimen and Qidong, with Haimen mutton being particularly well-received. Haimen white goats have a breeding history of over 1,000 years, representing a local breed with excellent skin, fur, and meat quality. Haimen mutton is tender and evenly distributed with fat. Combined with centuries-old cooking techniques, the well-prepared mutton is tender and not greasy.

Wuyao represents Rugao-style mutton in Rugao, known as the "hometown of goats". With a variety of dishes such as cold-cut mutton, braised mutton, hand-grabbed mutton, cooked mutton stomach, cooked mutton feet, handmade mutton dumplings, and whole mutton banquets, the town attracted over 100,000 visitors each year to taste these dishes.

Hai'an is a major mutton production market known for its renowned local goats. Dagong mutton, Qutang mutton, and Dingsuo mutton are all highly praised mutton brands. Qutang mutton has a history of over 100 years, known for its tender texture and lack of gaminess, and its famous dishes include boiled mutton, braised mutton, mutton ribs, mutton offal, and mutton soup dumplings.