Xiahe Hoof Tendons 夏河蹄筋

Xiahe Hoof Tendons (夏河蹄筋) is a dish of sheep hoof tendons from the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (甘南藏族自治州), which the Hezuo (合作) city government places on the north-eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The Xiahe County (夏河县) government calls it a famous dish handed down for a hundred years, and Hezuo describes it as a top-grade dish for banquets.

How it is made

In the Hezuo city government's account, the tendons are steamed with chicken stock and seasonings until they have taken on the flavour. Side ingredients such as wood ear mushrooms and day-lily flowers (黄花) are thickened into a glossy sauce that is poured over the tendons. The Xiahe County government describes the tendons as stewed until smooth and falling-apart tender.

Flavour and texture

Both governments stress the texture. Hezuo describes the finished tendons as soft and sticky yet springy to the bite, in a sauce that is mellow and savoury, with a mouthfeel full of gelatin. Xiahe County calls them smooth and tender and full of collagen. On Xiahe's own list of local food for visitors, the dish shares an entry with hand-pulled mutton (手抓羊肉) made from free-range Tibetan sheep of the Ganjia (甘加) grassland.