Actually, the character "La" is a phonophonetic character, from the sound of "肉" (巤). The original meaning is year-end sacrifice. The twelfth month of the ancient lunar calendar was called the twelfth lunar month. In ancient times, meat that was salted, sun-dried, soaked, pickled, and then smoked was called bacon. According to the production method of cured beef and mutton, it can be inferred that when the marinated meat is further processed, the beef and mutton are called cured beef and mutton, and the meaning of the word "ra" comes from this. The sauced beef does not need to be marinated in advance, just add water, salt and various seasonings and boil it.

Visitors who come to Xi'an will almost always taste Xi'an's famous delicacy, cured beef and mutton, and will bring some back for their family and friends to taste. This is because the cured beef and mutton in Xi'an are carefully selected, the craftsmanship is exquisite, the accessories are complete, and the fire is done properly. The cooked meat is ruddy in color, crispy in texture, mellow and delicious, and tender in texture. When the Queen Mother of the West fled to Xi'an, she ate the cured beef and mutton from Laotong's house in Nianzhipo and was full of praise. Xi'an's cured beef and mutton became famous all over the world.

The production process of cured beef and mutton is complicated. You need to select fresh beef and mutton. The meat is first marinated with water, green salt, Glauber's salt, star anise, cinnamon, grass fruit, pepper, fennel and other seasonings. It needs to be marinated in winter. Make it for half a month, then pour the old stewed soup into the pot, add the same amount of water, add the seasoning bag and cook with the marinated meat, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 3-4 hours.

The name comes from the production of the twelfth lunar month. Due to underdeveloped technology in the past, only pickling and air-drying methods were more effective for preserving meat products for a longer period of time. The temperature is lower during the twelfth lunar month, and spoilage bacteria and mosquitoes and flies are inactive, so it is the best season for making, hence the name. The general method is to pickle and then ferment and air-dry, or pickle and smoke and then ferment and air-dry. Due to the slow decomposition of salt-tolerant bacteria and enzymes in nature, proteins and oils are decomposed, degraded and oxidized, forming a unique delicious flavor, so it is sought after by many foodies.