Qutang town in Hai'an, a county-level city in Nantong, is named Hometown of Specialty Food in Jiangsu for its renowned mutton. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

On Oct 22, a group of experts visited Qutang town in Hai'an, a county-level city administered by Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province, to conduct field research on the process of building the town into a hometown of mutton in Jiangsu province.

The group listened to a report on the process given by the local government, made a field trip to local units engaged in sheep breeding, processing and catering services, learned about characteristic dishes, cultural inheritance, talent cultivation, integrity operation and the catering enterprises' safety measures.

After the field visit, the expert group agreed that Qutang met the requirements to become a Hometown of Specialty Food in Jiangsu.

In addition, a delegation from Jiangsu Province Dining Profession Association will visit Qutang on Oct 29, to grant the nameplate of Hometown of Specialty Food in Jiangsu at the opening ceremony of the seventh Qutang Mutton Food Culture Festival.

Qutang mutton, with its long history and diverse range of dishes – boiled mutton, braised mutton with soy sauce, roasted mutton chops and mutton soup dumplings, enjoys a high reputation far and wide.

More than 50 mutton restaurants have become a highlight of Qutang's delicacy culture.

Qutang has held a mutton food culture festival for the past six years to explore its cultural tourism resources, build a brand for local delicacies and culture, and a broader platform for communication and cooperation with other regions.