Wuzhong is one of the major Hui-inhabited areas in Ningxia. Its dietary culture is deeply influenced by Hui customs and traditions, with halal cuisine as the local specialty. Braising, stewing, boiling and simmering are the most common cooking methods, and the dishes generally taste sour, spicy and slightly salty. Yanchi County is rich in traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, so herbs are widely used as ingredients in Wuzhong dishes. Representative delicacies include beef braised with licorice powder, lamb with wolfberry sprouts, and castrated mutton neck stewed with astragalus root.

Wuzhong’s cuisine also features classic Ningxia staples such as sheep offal soup, halal lamb meat, Yellow River carp and fried sesame dough twists. Among local traditional specialties, plain boiled chicken, hand-grabbed mutton and fried pancake strips stand out. These time-honored treats boast distinctive flavors and exceptional taste.

Cut the beef into walnut-sized chunks and soak them in clean water for one hour. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, add the beef to blanch, then take it out and rinse with warm water. Heat flaxseed oil in a wok over high heat, add scallion sections and the blanched beef. Stir-fry until all water evaporates, then add dried licorice powder, salt, soy sauce, a spice sachet, sugar and beef broth. Once it boils, turn to low heat and simmer until the beef is tender and the sauce thickens. Remove the spice sachet, turn up the heat to reduce the sauce fully, add monosodium glutamate, stir well and plate. The finished dish has a bright reddish glaze. The beef is tender and coated in sweet sauce, and it helps moisten the lungs and relieve coughs.

Rinse the lamb and slice it thinly. Place the slices in a bowl, season with salt and Chinese prickly ash water to marinate, then add egg white and starch water to coat evenly. Rinse fresh wolfberry sprouts in cold water to remove bitterness. Heat cooking oil to 60% heat, slide in the lamb slices and stir gently until they are just cooked through, then drain the oil. Leave a little base oil in the wok, add wolfberry sprouts and stir-fry quickly. Add salt, prickly ash water, horseshoe-shaped scallion slices, ginger juice, clear soup and monosodium glutamate. Pour in the lamb slices, thicken with starch water, scatter softened wolfberry fruits on top, drizzle with a little hot oil, stir and serve. This dish features an appealing mix of white, green and red hues, with a fresh, refreshing and unique taste.

Rinse astragalus root with warm water and put it into a clay pot with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer slowly on low heat. Cut the neck meat of fine-wool castrated sheep along the joints and split each piece in half. Soak the mutton in cold water for 30 minutes, then blanch briefly in boiling water and drain thoroughly. Pour the prepared astragalus broth and mutton pieces into the clay pot, bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam. Add a spice sachet, scallion sections and salt. Simmer until the meat is tender and the soup thickens. Take out the scallions and spice sachet, and transfer the stew to a soup plate. This nourishing dish boosts vitality and is a popular medicinal food among local people.

A traditional local specialty of Wuzhong. Slaughter the chicken, pluck the feathers dry, remove all internal organs and rinse thoroughly. Put the whole chicken into cold water and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam, add seasonings wrapped in a small cloth bag (no salt or soy sauce). Once fully cooked, take the chicken out immediately. Brush the melted chicken oil all over the chicken, cut it into pieces and arrange on a plate. Top with shredded scallions and red chili strips, then pour over a mixed sauce of sesame oil, prickly ash oil and a dash of soy sauce. The chicken is tender, delicate and delicious.

Wuzhong-style hand-grabbed mutton is tender, savory, rich yet not greasy. Chop a whole castrated mutton into four large pieces and crack the ribs. Soak the mutton in cold water for over an hour to remove blood. Place in a pot of cold water, simmer over low heat and skim off foam. Add seasonings in a cloth bag and cook until done. Take out the mutton, cut into small chunks and plate. Mix mashed garlic with vinegar as a dipping sauce to enjoy.

This dish has a glossy reddish appearance, with tender offal and spicy soup. Its unique flavor lies in the special processing of sheep lungs. Rinse the sheep lungs repeatedly by pumping water into them until they turn pure white. Then fill the lungs with batter (gluten removed) to puff them up, hang to drain water, and boil thoroughly. Cook sheep head, tripe, liver and intestines separately, then cut all ingredients into fine shreds. Stir-fry chili powder in hot oil to make red chili oil. Bring the original mutton broth to a simmer, add the shredded offal, minced scallions, ginger and garlic, red chili oil, monosodium glutamate and coriander, then braise briefly. Nutritious and full of distinctive flavor.

A famous local snack popular in Wuzhong, Yinchuan and surrounding areas. It is made from strips of baked flatbread. The dish features tender meat and crisp pancake strips, with a mild salty and slightly spicy taste.