Shuan yangrou is paper-thin lamb swished for seconds in clear broth in a charcoal-heated copper pot, then dipped in sesame sauce and eaten with sugared garlic and sesame flatbread; in China we have verified places to eat it in Beijing. Start with where to eat Shuan yangrou (instant-boiled mutton) in Beijing.

Shuan yangrou (instant-boiled mutton) · Beijing

Shuan yangrou is paper-thin lamb swished for seconds in clear broth in a charcoal-heated copper pot, then dipped in sesame sauce and eaten with sugared garlic and sesame flatbread.

A popular legend ties instant-boiled mutton to Kublai Khan in the Yuan dynasty, but the story has little historical backing; written records of shuan yangrou as a Beijing dish start in the Qing. Yitiaolong dates its restaurant to 1785, and Donglaishun, founded in 1903, has its charcoal copper-pot technique on China's national intangible cultural heritage list. Jubaoyuan began in 1937 as a halal beef and mutton shop and added lamb hotpot in 2003. The city government's autumn food guide puts it first, and the hotpot season builds through winter.

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