Close-up of tender lamb spine pieces simmering in a rich, aromatic broth infused with spices, herbs, and natural lamb marrow.
Spicy red-broth lamb spine hotpot featuring bone-in lamb pieces, chili oil, and cilantro, capturing the hearty and warming essence of Beijing’s winter cuisine.
Yin-yang style lamb spine hotpot with clear broth and spicy broth, showcasing large meaty lamb spines simmered with goji berries, herbs, and warming spices.
Traditional Beijing lamb spine hotpot served in a copper pot, featuring tender lamb bones simmered in a rich, spiced broth and garnished with fresh cilantro and chilies.
Spicy Beijing lamb spine hotpot served in a cast-iron pot, loaded with tender lamb spine pieces, chili peppers, and cilantro for a bold, warming flavor.
Light broth lamb spine hotpot featuring clean-simmered lamb bones, goji berries, and fresh herbs, highlighting the natural flavor of lamb spine marrow.
Large family-style lamb spine hotpot feast with simmering marrow-rich lamb bones surrounded by vegetables, tofu, dumplings, and dipping sauces, showcasing Beijing’s communal dining culture.
Lamb Spine Hotpot, known locally as Yang Xiezi, is one of the most iconic cold-season dishes in Beijing. Despite its name, the dish contains no scorpion; instead, it features the lamb spine—an ingredient prized for its thick marrow, generous meat, and deep flavor. For many Beijingers, Lamb Spine Hotpot represents warmth, energy, and a sense of hearty satisfaction, making it a staple food during autumn and winter.
The dish begins with lamb spines cut into manageable sections, carefully cleaned to remove any strong odor while preserving their natural richness. These bones are simmered for hours with ginger, scallions, goji berries, and a range of warming spices. Each restaurant has its own formula, but common seasonings include star anise, Chinese cinnamon, black cardamom, and dried chilies. The result is a broth that is both fragrant and full-bodied, rich enough to qualify as a stew yet light enough to serve as a hotpot base.
What sets Lamb Spine Hotpot apart from other Beijing hotpots is its balance between rustic character and refined flavor. The lamb spine offers multiple layers of enjoyment: tender meat clinging to the bone, soft cartilage, melt-in-your-mouth marrow, and a broth that becomes richer with every minute of simmering. Sharing a pot of lamb spine is an interactive experience—diners use chopsticks to pick apart the meat, ladles to scoop the broth, and sometimes even small straws to savor the marrow inside the bone.
Traditionally, the dish is served in large clay or iron pots that retain heat well, keeping the broth bubbling for long periods. Once most of the lamb is enjoyed, vegetables, tofu, and wide noodles are added to soak up the remaining broth. The final noodle stage is considered one of the highlights because the flavors become incredibly concentrated.
Lamb Spine Hotpot is more than comfort food—it reflects Beijing’s northern food culture, where hearty dishes help locals endure long, cold winters. It also embodies Beijing’s communal dining style, emphasizing warmth, togetherness, and the joy of sharing a flavorful meal around a steaming pot.
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