Lamb Soup with Lamb Noodles (羊肉粉) is a signature snack from Zunyi City, Guizhou Province. It is made by simmering fresh lamb to make soup, pouring it over rice noodles, and adding sliced lamb and seasonings. With a history of over 300 years, lamb noodles are a staple dish in Guizhou, but Zunyi’s version stands out for its exceptional flavor and popularity. The streets of Zunyi are filled with lamb noodle restaurants, attracting countless diners and earning the dish the title of “Chinese Famous Snack” at the Second Chinese Snack Festival.
The reputation of Zunyi Lamb Soup dates back to the mid-Qing Dynasty. Visitors to Zunyi never fail to praise the deliciousness of the lamb noodles. Zunyi locals have a special fondness for this dish, especially during winter when a bowl of piping hot lamb soup warms the body.
The main ingredients of lamb noodles are lamb and rice noodles. The preparation involves stewing the lamb until tender and blanching the rice noodles three times in boiling water to remove any sour taste, then placing them in a bowl. Thinly sliced lamb, cooked and pressed before slicing, is layered on top of the noodles. The dish is then garnished with spicy red chili oil, ground Sichuan peppercorns, garlic shoots, scallions, cilantro, and other herbs. Finally, the stewed lamb soup is poured over the top, creating a steaming, fragrant, and irresistible bowl of lamb noodles.
The key to enjoying lamb noodles is savoring the rich flavor of the original soup. Zunyi residents prefer using lamb from the mountains of neighboring Sinan County, known for its tender meat and minimal gamey taste. The lamb is slaughtered and skinned on the same day without washing to preserve its natural flavor. When making the lamb soup, the lamb is slowly simmered over low heat, resulting in a clear and savory broth. Additionally, a few hens and a little rock sugar are added to further enhance the soup’s richness and depth of flavor.