Beijing's winter warmer

Beijing's Winter Warm

老北京涮羊肉，秋冬专属的美味和温暖!

As Chinese traditions go, few things are better than sitting around a steamy hotpot as autumn drapes a chilly cloak over North China.

秋季华北寒意料峭，围坐在热气腾腾的火锅边是中国人历来的传统，也是北方寒冻之日少有的美妙时刻。

Archaeological studies support the claim that Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), invented mutton hotpot.

经考古研究证实，元朝(1271-1368)开国皇帝忽必烈发明了羊肉火锅。

The nomads relied on mutton during warfare, but in the frenzy of battle, Kublai Khan's subordinates had to make do with just dipping the mutton in boiling water to cook it for him.

战时，游牧民族以羊肉为济。然而战事激烈，忽必烈的下人只能将就着把羊肉放在沸水里涮着给他吃。

For a long time, only Beijing's privileged, such as the aristocracy, could get their hands on mutton hotpot. It was very popular among the royal families of the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911). From the imperial food archives, Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) was a true hotpot lover, indulging himself with the bubbling dish more than 200 times in 1789.

战时，游牧民族以羊肉为济。然而战事激烈，忽必烈的下人只能将就着把羊肉放在沸水里涮着给他吃。

Among the smorgasbord of vegetables and meat spread out on the dinner table, mutton has been put in the front and center.

在餐桌上铺开的各类蔬菜肉菜当中，羊肉总是摆放在正中间。