In the Song Dynasty, a law was promulgated to prohibit the royal family from bringing bear's paw, velvet antler and giant salamander into the royal table. And mutton is more common. In the Song Dynasty, mutton was particularly popular, and only mutton was used to eat meat. This is the royal rule of the Song Dynasty. Moreover, eating mutton has risen to the ancestral family law. At that time, the royal family especially liked mutton. When Song Renzong Zhao Zhen was in office, he slaughtered 80 sheep every day, which required 654.38 million sheep a year. After Song Renzong's death, he killed almost all the sheep in the palace for his funeral. Emperor Zongshen of the Song Dynasty also inherited his unique hobby of mutton. According to records, the Imperial Restaurant consumes 434,463 Jin and 420 Liang of mutton every year, and often supports 19 lambs, which is amazing.

Why did the Song Dynasty like eating sheep so much? The ancients always thought that mutton was delicious, and in the text explanation, it was said that sheep was associated with delicacy, "beautiful and sweet, from sheep to big." In ancient times, cattle were the main production tools and were not allowed to be slaughtered. Pigs and dogs need food, so it is difficult to breed in large numbers. Only sheep can live as long as there is grass, so it is easy to raise and breed, so sheep was listed as the main meat in the Song Dynasty. And this is also included in the ancestral family law. According to legend, Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin has a particularly close relationship with mutton. He has a passion for mutton. It is said that mutton paomo was invented when he was in trouble, and he has always been obsessed with mutton.

There is another saying that Zhao Kuangyin is a pig, never eats pork, never kills pigs, but also protects it, so mutton has become his inevitable choice. Of course, this is just a legend, not recorded in history. At that time, it was exaggerated to say that mutton was in short supply and almost extinct. At that time, there were not many places where sheep were produced in the Song Dynasty, mainly Xixia and Liao countries. If in peacetime, the Song Dynasty can also buy some mutton imports to meet the needs.

If there is a war, there is no way to import sheep, which will inevitably lead to a shortage of mutton and a skyrocketing price of mutton. Don't say ordinary people can't afford it, even those rich people who are officials can't afford it. Things are rare and expensive, and the quantity is scarce. Without timely feeding and supplementation, there will be fewer and fewer sheep, and mutton will of course become more and more expensive. To realize the feeling of eating extinction.