Lamb “Frost Sausage”: A Vanished Beijing Delicacy
Lamb Frost Sausage (羊霜肠) has been extinct in Beijing for years. The last time I had it was in 1987 at a Hui Muslim eatery on Dongsi West Street. Since then, in the span of 17 years, I haven’t seen a single trace of it. Even during this year’s Spring Festival, after visiting temple fairs at Ditan, Dongyue Temple, and Baiyun Temple, I came back disappointed—no Frost Sausage in sight.
What is Lamb Frost Sausage?
We make lamb sausage by stuffing lamb intestines with seasoned lamb blood. We simmer these round, plump sausages over low heat in a pot filled with broth, along with lamb cartilage and tendons. The preparation method resembles that of Luzhu Huoshao (a Beijing-style stewed pork offal dish), but because it is a Hui Muslim dish, referring to it as Luzhu Huoshao would earn you a scolding.
As the sausage cooks, the lamb blood inside solidifies into a tender, tofu-like texture. The vendor would retrieve the sausage, cut off a portion, and arrange it into thin slices at the bottom of a bowl. The vendor would then add fragments of lamb meat and a ladle of steaming broth. We finished the dish by garnishing it with chili flakes, sesame seeds, fresh cilantro, and chopped green onions.
A Perfect Pairing with Fresh-Baked Sesame Bread
The best way to enjoy Lamb Frost Sausage was with a freshly baked sesame shaobing (a type of flatbread). Lamb intestines, richer in fat than pork intestines, made the dish more flavorful and affordable, which earned it popularity among locals. The name “Frost Sausage” comes from the white lamb fat that would solidify along the edges of the sausage and bowl, resembling a layer of frost.
A Nostalgic Memory
When I was a teenager, my family lived on Beichang Street in Xicheng District, while my school was in Dongcheng District. Every day, I passed by Wusi Avenue and Dongsi West Street, where a small Hui Muslim restaurant sold Frost Sausage year-round. Back then, it cost only 15 cents per bowl, though by 1987, right before the municipal relocation project closed the eatery, the price had risen to 50 cents. That restaurant is now a bookstore.
The Lost Gem of Beijing Cuisine
In recent years, Beijing has made efforts to restore its historical charm and revive traditional foods. Many long-lost snacks have reappeared, but sadly, Frost Sausage hasn’t made a comeback—a true regret for those who cherish the culinary heritage of the capital.
Phoenix Lee https://chinese-tradition.com/lamb-frost-sausage-a-lost-hui-delicacy-of-beijing.html