It's not odorless, it's just light. The most famous mutton in northwest China is Yanchitan sheep. Let's take Yanchitan sheep as an example to explain why it doesn't smell. Northwest Yanchitan sheep, as one of the five treasures in Ningxia (although it refers to its skin), can be said to be the first of the three treasures in Yanchi and one of the carriers of mutton. In 2000, Yanchitan sheep was also listed as a national second-class protected variety by the Ministry of Agriculture. Protected species and wild animals here are two concepts, so they can be eaten, but they cannot be used for mating. There are many legends about Yanchitan sheep, including the relationship with Suwu sheep husbandry. It is said that Su Wu took sheep to Yanchi, and found that the lamb he brought was of better quality. Finally, after Su Wu returned to the Han nationality, these sheep were left to farmers in Yanchi, and today's Yanchi Tan sheep came into being.

Legends are legends after all. They are always just food decorations, not themes, so everyone can listen to them. But then again, everyone who has eaten Yanchi sheep knows that the sheep here are really delicious and there is no variation. This is not groundless. Many people say that sheep in Yanchi county eat spring water and Chinese herbal medicine, so the meat is particularly good. This statement sounds like an expert's health sticker, but in fact, it's just what it looks like.

In the article "Influencing Factors and Research Status of Mutton Flavor" written by Liu Zhe and Wu Jianping, various factors affecting mutton odor are mentioned, especially the influence of feed on mutton odor. The most direct reason why the sheep in Yanchi have a faint smell is the relationship between the variety of sheep and feed.

The article "Effect of Suaeda salsa Feeding on Mutton Quality" mentioned that adding different levels of Suaeda salsa in sheep diet has a significant effect on mutton smell. With the increase of Suaeda salsa content, the water loss rate, shear force and intramuscular fat content of mutton will increase. In the book "Preliminary Study on the Effect of Sulfur on the Taste of Mutton", the specific function of sulfur is further mentioned: if the feed can provide enough sulfur-containing organic matter in the digestion process of sheep, then the transformation process can be completed. With the decrease of volatile carbonyl compounds, the smell of mutton will decrease or disappear. ?

The right sheep breed and the right pasture can produce mutton without odor. Therefore, mutton with no smell is unique to the northwest. Mutton in Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and other regions is really good. The above-mentioned saline soil is also found in parts of Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang. Xinjiang alone has about 65438+ 100 million mu of saline-alkali land, and Taragou and Arbas Mountain in Inner Mongolia are also saline-alkali land. ?