🍽️ Yulin Mutton Offal

North Shaanxi offal with buckwheat.

Yulin Mutton Offal is a beloved breakfast of Yulin, in northern Shaanxi on the edge of the Ordos plateau. Sheep head, tripe, lung, intestine and heart are carefully washed, simmered until tender, then sliced and returned to a milky, rich broth seasoned with chili oil, cilantro and scallion. Locals usually pair it with buckwheat hele noodles or chunks of steamed bread soaked in the soup, turning one bowl into a full meal. The broth is deep and warming, the offal clean and soft rather than gamey, and a splash of red chili oil cuts through the richness. On cold mornings in the plateau, this hearty bowl is the everyday way Yulin people start the day and a classic taste of northern Shaanxi lamb cooking.