Whole donkey large intestine from Mizhi County's Jiaimi breed, scrubbed clean with vinegar and salt, blanched, then slow-braised for two hours in a spiced century brine of Sichuan pepper, star anise, cinnamon, and more than a dozen aromatics. Sliced and ladled into bowls with the rich brine, it is called 'the first taste of northern Shaanxi.'
Mizhi County in the Wuding River basin breeds the Jiaimi donkey — a regional strain with over three thousand years of documented husbandry, now a state-protected livestock breed. Donkey offal was historically discarded by butchers. A folk account, widespread in local gazetteers and dating events to the Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty (1875–1908), tells of a poor family near Mizhi's south gate who salvaged donkey intestines, cleaned them with vinegar, and braised them with wild aromatics to feed their children. When a passing imperial inspector smelled the fragrance from the riverbank and tasted the dish, he praised it as superior to official banquet fare, spreading its renown. The Mizhi County Gazetteer formally records braised donkey intestine — alongside mala liver bowls and mung-bean cold jelly — as one of the county's three defining specialties, noted for its 'numbing, spicy, salty, and tender' character.
The braised intestine is fall-apart tender yet toothsome — a slippery, unctuous chew releasing waves of Sichuan-pepper tingle, chili heat, and deep braised-spice warmth. A faint mineral sweetness from the long-cooked offal surfaces at the finish, rich but never heavy.
Donkey large intestine is rich in collagen (glycine and hydroxyproline dominant). Prolonged low-heat braising at 80–90 °C for two or more hours hydrolyzes the collagen triple helix into gelatin molecules that coat the intestine wall, yielding the signature slippery tenderness. Sichuan pepper's hydroxy-alpha-sanshool activates low-frequency vibrotactile nerve endings in the lips and tongue (approximately 50 Hz), producing the characteristic numbing sensation; capsaicin from dried chili activates capsaicin heat receptors in the oral mucosa, generating sustained burn. Cinnamon aldehyde, eugenol, and anethole from the cinnamon, clove and fennel in the brine form a multi-layered volatile aromatic complex that continues releasing at high temperature, building the brine's characteristic depth.
Variations
Mala liver (麻辣肝花) uses donkey liver braised in the same brine — Mizhi's second great specialty. Some vendors stuff the cleaned intestine with tofu or millet before braising to make a filled sausage variant. A cold-cut version is also common: braise, chill overnight to set, slice thin, and dress with chili oil and garlic.
On the Palate
Where Mizhi Braised Donkey Intestine sits in the Chinese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
7 steps · 30 min
- 130 min
Flip the donkey large intestine inside-out; scrub vigorously with coarse salt and rice vinegar for 10 minutes, repeat three times; rinse under cold running water until completely odour-free; cut into 15-cm segments.
Watch outFlip the intestine inside out and scrub with coarse salt and vinegar three times until dead-odorless — this is the make-or-break of the whole dish.
- 210 min
Place intestine segments in a pot of cold water; bring to a full boil and blanch for 10 minutes to remove impurities; drain and discard the blanching water.
- 310 min
In a fresh pot, combine aged stock (or cold water) with Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, dried chili peppers, dried ginger, cardamom pods, long pepper (荜茇), and clove; bring to a boil to build the spiced brine.
- 45 min
Add the blanched intestine segments, a piece of fatty pork, scallion knots, soy sauce, and salt to the brine; return to a vigorous boil and cook uncovered for 5 minutes.
- 5120 min
Reduce to the lowest simmer; cover and braise for 2 hours, until the intestine is soft enough to pinch apart between two fingers; adjust salt to taste.
Watch outBraise on the lowest simmer two hours until you can pinch it apart between two fingers — a hard boil toughens the wall instead of melting it.
- 615 min
Turn off the heat; leave the intestines submerged in the hot brine for a further 15 minutes to absorb the aromatics fully.
Watch outLeave it soaking in the hot brine fifteen minutes off the heat — that rest is when it drinks in all the spice.
- 75 min
Lift out the intestine; cut into bite-sized pieces; ladle into bowls with plenty of hot brine; scatter sliced scallion and chili flakes on top; serve immediately.