Pingquan mutton broth is a slow-simmered offal and bone soup from Chengde prefecture's Pingquan (historically called Bagou), where every morning residents queue for a bowl of milky-white, supremely aromatic broth ladled over tender tripe, intestine, lung, and liver, served with sesame flatbread for dunking. The shop closes when the pot empties.
Pingquan, historically named Bagou, sits on the old imperial hunting corridor in Chengde prefecture. Local tradition holds that the Kangxi Emperor, pursuing game in the area, was drawn by the aroma of a Muslim cook's offal broth and praised it lavishly; by the Qianlong era the town reportedly hosted over a dozen mutton-broth stalls. In 2017 the Pingquan mutton-broth preparation technique was inscribed in the Hebei provincial intangible cultural heritage list.
Milky-white and steaming hot, the bowl holds sliced tripe, thin-cut intestine, and quivery lung in a broth that tastes of clean, deep lanolin richness without a trace of gaminess. A ring of chopped scallion and a drizzle of chili oil float on top; sesame flatbread is torn and dropped in to soak until soft, then eaten with the broth.
The milky-white color comes from fat globules emulsified by hydrolyzed collagen — derived from bone marrow and connective tissue — released during a sustained rolling boil. Glutamate from organ meats and inosinate from muscle tissue combine to produce compounded umami. Aromatic spices including white hyacinth root, cassia, tsaoko, and tangerine peel supply volatile compounds that suppress sulfur-based gaminess molecules (indole and skatole) concentrated in mutton fat glands. Maintaining a vigorous boil — rather than a gentle simmer — is the key: the turbulence keeps fat droplets suspended in an oil-in-water emulsion, producing body and opacity without a greasy aftertaste.
Variations
The strictest traditional format uses offal only (stomach, intestines, heart, liver, lungs) with no vegetables. Some stalls add lamb rack and neck bones alongside the offal for a richer, cleaner broth. Near closing time, stalls sometimes add bean-curd skin or mung-bean vermicelli to extend portions. A spicier variant popular in the summer adds a dried chili cluster to the aromatics.
On the Palate
Where Pingquan Mutton Broth sits in the Chinese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
6 steps · 20 min
- 110 min
Rinse lamb offal (stomach, intestines, heart, liver, lungs) thoroughly under cold running water; blanch in rapidly boiling water for 3 minutes; drain and rinse again under cold water.
- 210 min
Bring a large pot of fresh cold water to a rolling boil; add blanched offal and cracked lamb bones; skim off all grey foam carefully with a ladle until the broth runs clear.
- 35 min
Add whole scallion knots, ginger slices, white hyacinth root, cassia bark, tsaoko pods, dried tangerine peel, and Sichuan peppercorns tied in cheesecloth; maintain a vigorous rolling boil.
- 490 min
Boil uncovered over high heat for 90 minutes to develop the milky-white emulsion; remove the liver after 40 minutes to prevent it from hardening; top up water as needed to keep offal submerged.
Watch outAir-dry the braised chicken thirty minutes until the skin is bone-dry to the touch — this step is what makes it crisp; fry it damp and the skin stays flabby.
- 510 min
Season broth generously with salt; remove the aromatics sachet; lift out all offal and slice thinly across the grain into bite-size pieces.
- 65 min
Ladle boiling broth into bowls; arrange offal slices; scatter chopped scallion and fresh chili; drizzle chili oil; serve immediately with sesame flatbread alongside.
Watch outFry at a hundred ninety degrees, basting the exposed side, until the skin is deep amber and rigid — tap it, it should sound crisp.
Archive tool suggestions — not reviewed
These legacy suggestions have not been evidence-reviewed and are not presented as required tools.
