Hand-Held Boiled Mutton 手把肉
Hand-Held Boiled Mutton is featured among the local specialties of Heilongjiang.
Hand-Held Boiled Mutton (手把肉) belongs to the Daur food traditions represented in Meilisi Daur District (梅里斯达斡尔族区), Qiqihar (齐齐哈尔). Xinhua includes hand-held mutton among the district’s characteristic foods, alongside millet rice, blood tofu and noodles made with milk.
Meat on the bone
The Heilongjiang (黑龙江) provincial government describes the Daur way of eating hand-held meat: diners hold a cooked, bone-in piece and use a knife to cut off smaller bites. These are dipped in chive flowers, finely chopped Chinese cabbage and salt. The meat is served hot, with steam rising as it is eaten.
A New Year table
In the provincial account of Daur customs, hand-held meat is an essential part of the New Year’s Eve meal during Anie (阿涅节), the Daur Spring Festival. Families gather for a reunion dinner and stay awake through the night.
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and fact-checked against them on 2026-09-26. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.
Image credits & notes (1)
- Serving example. Chanasan makh, Boiled meat with bones.Photo: Mizu_Basyo · CC BY-SA 3.0Resized for the web; the photo itself has not been edited.
