Gonghe Mutton 共和羊肉
Gonghe Mutton is featured among the local specialties of Qinghai.
Gonghe Mutton (共和羊肉) appears in several preparations promoted by Gonghe County (共和县) around Qinghai Lake (青海湖). A 2023 Xinhua feature carried by the county government includes charcoal-roasted whole lamb and hand-grabbed mutton among its local food selection.
How it is made
For the whole roast, a well-fattened lamb less than a year old goes into a preheated oven. The cook brushes it with a prepared seasoning sauce, turns it while roasting over charcoal, and takes it out after about two to three hours, when the meat is tender. The exterior becomes golden-red and glossy, while the inside remains soft and fragrant.
How it is eaten
The lakeside hand-grabbed preparation has a savoury, salty flavour and tender meat. It is served with a sauce of mashed garlic, salt and hot-oil chilli, or with dry seasonings based on pepper-salt and chilli powder.
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer on 2026-09-27. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.