Eating in China
Generated guide illustration: Xiaoshi goat soup with sliced cooked meat and offal in pale broth.

Benxi Xiaoshi goat soup

本溪小市羊汤Běnxī Xiǎoshì yángtāng

Slow-cooked goat soup

A Xiaoshi goat soup with tender meat and offal in a rich, pale bone broth.

Heat
Region
Liaoning
Type
Soups
Order in Chinese

At the table

How to enjoy it

Sip the hot broth with a spoon and eat the meat and offal in small bites. Ask which cuts are included and whether chili can be left out. Bread is a separate accompaniment.

A useful check

Contains goat meat and offal. Check for bone fragments and allow the hot soup to cool. The cuts and added seasonings vary; accompanying rolls or flatbreads commonly contain wheat.

How it may vary

This version simmers goat bones, meat and offal, then adds salt, pepper, coriander, chili and MSG. The pictured light chili finish is mildly hot; amounts and shop recipes vary. Pepper’s pungency is separate from chili heat.

GET TO KNOW THE DISH

What goes into it?

Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.

Meat and offal cuts and added seasonings vary by shop; ask about chili before ordering.

Recipes vary by restaurant.

How does it taste?

Meaty

Chili heat
Texture
Tender meat and rich broth
How it’s made
Simmer goat bones, meat and offal for several hours, then season the soup when serving.

Meat and offal cuts and added seasonings vary by shop; ask about chili before ordering.

A CONNECTION TO PLACE

Origin & regional roots

Explore regional food

Associated with Liaoning.

Ask if they have it first

ASK IF IT'S AVAILABLE

请问你们有本溪小市羊汤吗?

Do you have this item?

A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ

Story & history

A bowl from Xiaoshi’s goat-soup tradition

This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.

Xiaoshi in Benxi is known for goat soup within the region’s Manchu food traditions. Long cooking brings together bones, meat and offal in a pale, rich broth. A local way to make a meal of it is to alternate spoonfuls of soup with huajuan steamed rolls or niushebing, an elongated flatbread.

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