Zhidan County, nestled in the farming-pastoral transitional ecotone, boasts a long history in sheep farming. The mutton produced here is highly favored by consumers for its tender meat, unique flavor, and rich nutrition. Zhidan’s sheep mainly consist of goats and sheep, with goats being the primary source of meat. The annual mutton production is around 1,000 tons, ranking among the top in the city. In terms of farming, Zhidan goats are known for their excellent fattening performance and tender meat quality. Fed on the local lamb Thymus mongolicus, commonly known as “Thyme” in northern Shaanxi, the meat becomes odorless and easy to digest, contributing to the unique flavor of Zhidan mutton that has gained widespread recognition. The people of Zhidan also have their own unique culinary insights. Adhering to the philosophy of blending new northern Shaanxi flavors with traditional tastes, they take classic clear-braised mutton and traditional northern Shaanxi cuisine as their foundation, while incorporating fresh grilled mutton as a specialty. They have created local delicacies such as buckwheat noodle soup with mutton soup, slowly-braised mutton, and cooked entrials of sheep, which are renowned in Shaanxi, Gansu, and Ningxia. Today, Zhidan mutton not only meets the local market demand, but is also exported to regions such as Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu, Shanxi, and Hebei provinces, garnering widespread market acclaim.