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History
Instant-boiled mutton can date back to the Yuan Dynasty. During a battle, Kublai Khan, the Khagan of the Mongol Empire, had a sudden craving for stewed mutton. However, he did not have much time to wait for the dish, for the enemy's troops were approaching. In order to not disappoint him, a chef quickly cut off a dozen thin mutton slices and put them in boiling water. He removed them as soon as the lamb changed color and put them into a bowl with salt. Kublai Khan ate the mutton quickly and contentedly, and then returned to the battle. At the victory banquet, Kublai Khan requested that the chef make this lamb dish again and named it instant-boiled mutton.
Cooking and Eating Method
Commonly speaking, when people eat instant-boiled mutton, a hot-pot of boiling water is placed in the middle of the table. Side dishes like Tofu, Chinese cabbage, bean sprouts, and vermicelli are normally included in the hot-pot. Lamb is pre-sliced paper-thin into unbroken pieces and served on the table. Eaters use chopsticks to pick up some pre-sliced raw lamb and put it in the boiling hot-pot, and then remove it as soon as the lamb changes color. A small bowl to hold sauce for the cooked lamb is placed in front of each person; the sauce is normally a mixture of sesame sauce, chili oil, leeks, and more.
Health Effects
Since ancient time, people have had lamb during the winter to increase body heat and protect against the cold. Eating lamb can also increase digestive enzyme activity and maintain good gastrointestinal system health, including protecting the gastric wall, repairing gastric mucosa and improving digestion by the spleen and stomach. It also plays a role in reducing the effects of aging.
Lamb is an excellent source of zinc, which plays a part in tissue growth and repair and the maintenance of the immune system. It is also a good source of iron, which has a role in the formation of red blood cells. Lamb contains several B vitamins, such as B12, a vitamin involved in the body’s metabolic reactions.
