{{short description|Chinese traditional dish from Xi'an}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Use American English|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox Chinese|pic=Pita Bread Soaked in Lamb Soup.jpg|picsize=200px|piccap=Lamb paomo |t=泡饃|s=泡馍|p= pàomó|l=soaked mó}} {{Infobox food | name = Paomo | image = Paomo.jpg | image_size = 250px | caption = A bowl of paomo served in the cafeteria of Xi'an Jiaotong University | alternate_name = | country = China | region = Shaanxi | creator = | course = | type = Stew | served = | main_ingredient = Bread, lamb broth, lamb meat | variations = | calories = | other = }} '''''Paomo''''' is a popular specialty of Shaanxi cuisine common throughout Xi'an and other cities of Guanzhong. It is a hot stew of minced steamed leavened flatbread, known regionally as ''mo'' ({{lang-zh|s=馍|t=饃|p=mó|labels=no|first=t}}), cooked and served with lamb or beef.
Lamb ''paomo'' ({{lang-zh|s=羊肉泡馍|t=羊肉泡饃|p=yángròu pàomó|labels=no|first=t}})<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/food/2004-05/14/content_1470562.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040713221247/http://news.xinhuanet.com/food/2004-05/14/content_1470562.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 13, 2004|title=陕西小吃-羊肉泡馍 |publisher=News.xinhuanet.com|date=|accessdate=2012-05-10}}</ref> is made of lamb soup and a great amount of unleavened flat bread. When making this dish, the cook breaks the bread into small pieces and adds them to the lamb soup. The beef version is beef ''paomo'' ({{lang-zh|s=牛肉泡馍|t=牛肉泡饃|p=niúròu pàomó|labels=no|first=t}}). ''Paomo'' is often eaten with pickled garlic and chili sauce.
==Production== The {{Transliteration|zh|mo}} used in {{Transliteration|zh|paomo}} is a type of shaobing, baked from unleavened flour. Lamb or beef is boiled with bones, Sichuan pepper, star anise, tsaoko, cinnamon, and other spices until the meat is tender and the broth is done. In traditional restaurants, customers must break up the bread themselves first into thumb-sized chunks before handing it back to the chef. The restaurant then boils the broth, thins it with hot water, and adds in the prepared meat along with cellophane noodles. After the soup is heated up, the broken-up bread is added in before being topped off with spices and a drizzle of lamb oil. Customers may then add chili oil, cilantro, or garlic to their liking. The garlic is sometimes pickled in a sour-sweet vinegar and sugar concoction.
==Gallery== <gallery> File:Yangroupaomo2.jpg|Prepared lamb {{Transliteration|zh|paomo}} File:Yangroupaomo01.jpg|The {{Transliteration|zh|mo}} before and after it is broken up File:Yangroupaomo3.jpg|The broth used in {{Transliteration|zh|paomo}} File:陕西羊肉泡馍.png|A spoonful of meat and {{Transliteration|zh|paomo}} File:羊肉泡馍（xi’an）.jpg|Beef paomo </gallery>
==Legends== One folktale about its origin is that in the late Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Zhao Kuangyin,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.022china.com/2010/11-15/366129_0.html|title=为天下守财的寒酸皇帝——赵匡胤-新闻-中国网滨海高新|publisher=News.022china.com|date=|accessdate=2012-05-10|archive-date=2012-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502021005/http://news.022china.com/2010/11-15/366129_0.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> the Song dynasty's first emperor, returned to his hometown after seeing his betrothed. He had finished up most of his supply on the way back. He had only two pieces of dried plain pancake. He went through a merchant selling lamb soup; Zhao tore the bread into little pieces and mixed it into the soup.
After Zhao Kuangyin became the emperor, he returned to the small merchant place and asked the chief to make the soup again. After eating this old flavor, the freshness and the old memory interwind his heart. He named it "lamb paomo".
==See also== * List of lamb dishes * List of stews * List of soups * {{portal-inline|Food}}
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Chinese noodles Category:Shaanxi cuisine Category:Lamb and mutton dishes Category:Bread soups Category:Chinese soups and stews Category:Chinese meat dishes