Xinjiang Cuisine applies a wide range of raw materials, such as vegetables, fruits, fish, meat and eggs. Its major difference with other Chinese cuisines is the use of eggs and meat in terms of flavour. There are unique dietary habits and customs and many are primarily based on Islamic dishes. Mutton and beef are the most used applying cooking techniques such as frying, baking, quick-boiling, stewing, pickling and steaming. Famous local dishes are Roasted Whole Lamb (Kao Quanyang, 烤全羊), Braised Chicken with Potato and Red Peppers (Da Pan Ji, 大盘鸡), Baked Bread with Braised Mutton and Onions (Nang Bao Rou, 馕包肉) and Stewed Lamb, Xinjiang Style (Shou Zhua Yangrou, 手抓羊肉). The taste is slightly sour and generally spicy.
Xinjiang people are well-known for cooking mutton. The mutton-based dishes are tender and soft, odourless and delicious and will not cause excessive internal body heat. Roasted Mutton kebabs (Kao Yangrou Chuan, 烤羊肉串) is a traditional Xinjiang snack widely popular across the country. To make authentic roasted mutton kebabs, the chef of Uigur ethnic minority group uses a special grill and smokeless coal as fuel. First, the mutton is sliced and skewered on a thin iron stick with some lamb fat. Then, the kebabs are evenly placed on a frame over a fire. The cook constantly roasts the kebabs with his left hand and skilfully sprays fine salt, pepper powder, cumin and other flavourings with his right. It takes several minutes to roast the kebabs. The cooked kebabs are golden, bright and crispy. The lean mutton is tasty and tender; the fat mutton is tender, soft and brown. The flavour is slightly spicy and aromatic, appetizing but neither greasy nor odorous.
Main Dishes
Roasted Whole Lamb (Kao Quanyang, 烤全羊)
Roasted Whole Lamb is a famous Xinjiang local dish and its taste could even match that of Beijing’s Roasted Duck (Beijing Kaoya, 北京烤鸭). The dishes are both prestigious for the cooking method is unique and selection of raw materials is refined. A spring lamb is butchered and its hooves and tripe are removed. A mixed sauce made up of fine flour, salty water, egg, ginger, pepper, cumin and other flavourings are evenly coated on to the lamb. The lamb is secured on a spit roast and placed into the specially made baking pit or furnace and roasted for about one hour until cooked. This is one of the most expensive and prestigious Xinjiang dishes and an indispensable part of the feast which is used to entertain distinguished guests. Thus, the lamb is tied with red string before being served.
Baked Xinjiang Bread (Kao Nang, 烤馕)
Xinjiang Bread is a type of baked round cake having a long history throughout Xinjiang. In ancient times, it was called “Hu Bing” or “Lu Bing”. Mostly, the cake uses fermented flour with a small amount of salt. The baking method is similar to that baked by the Han ethnic group where the majority of bread is round using indispensable raw materials such as flour, sesame, onion, egg, vegetable oil, lambs fat, milk, sugar and salt. There are a great variety of baked breads of which many are named according to the type of flour, shape, texture, additive ingredient and baking method. The bread roasted with lambs fat is called Lamb’s Fat Cake (You Nang, 油馕); the bread roasted with the stuffing consisting of minced mutton, cumin powder, pepper powder and onions, is called Baked Bread Stuffed with Minced Mutton (Rou Nang, 肉馕); the bread roasted with grape juice and sesame is called Sesame Bread (Zhima Nang, 芝麻馕). The bread is tasty, crispy, delicious and rich in nutrition. In Xinjiang, it is a popular household food of the Uigur people.
Steamed Rice with Fried Mutton, Carrot and Onion (Shouzhua Fan, 手抓饭)
Steamed Rice is the staple food of Xinjiang people. There are two types of such rice, salty and sweet. The sweet steamed rice uses egg, vegetable oil, raisins, pickled apricots and peanuts as the raw materials; salty steamed rice applies mutton, carrot and vegetable oil. To cook such rice, mutton, carrot, onion and cumin are stir-fried and then steamed with rice, vegetable oil and salt. When served on the table, the rice is bright in colour, tasty, aromatic and delicious and best experienced when eating by hand. However, most restaurants currently use chop sticks or spoons thus losing its original character. A small tray of salty pickles is served along with the rice followed by a whole bowl of milk tea acting as the perfect refreshment.
Braised Chicken with Potato and Red Peppers (Dapan Ji, 大盘鸡)
This dish uses diced chicken, long finger type peppers with shredded potato, onion, garlic and ginger. It is a well-known Xinjiang dish, spicy, fresh, soft and delicious which is truly impressive. The braised reddish chopped chicken with bright red peppers produces an appetizing aroma and marvellous smell.
Boiled Lambs Head (Wuxiang Yangtou Rou, 五香羊头肉)
The lambs head is boiled without adding any flavouring. The meat from boiled lambs head is tasty and delicious. The dish is said to nourish the stomach and spleen, invigorate the kidney and liver, strengthen the functionality of the lungs and improve the vital energy.
Deep Fried Leg of Lamb with Cumin and Pepper (Fengwei Yangtui, 风味羊腿)
The Leg of Lamb is diced, deep-fried, mixed with cumin, a small amount of pepper, fennel and sesame and stir-fried. The flavour is salty, slightly spicy, crispy and tender.
Whole Lamb Roasted in Baking Pit (Nangkeng Rou, 馕坑肉)
The dish originated from Kashi, Xinjiang. The method of roasting this lamb is similar to that of roasting lamb kebabs utilising the leftover burning coals from baking local bread. The old saying goes that if you visit Xinjiang, and not visit Kashi, the trip is meaningless; if you visit Kashi, but fail to taste the roasted lamb from the baking pit, the trip is still in vain. Each Uigur family has a baking pit in front of the door, half above the ground and half below. The entire lamb is coated with flavouring, sealed in the pit and roasted until cooked. When the dish is ready to be served, immediately after the lamb is taken out, the fragrance is overwhelming and figuratively described to spread across miles.
Baked Bread with Braised Mutton and Onions (Nang Bao Rou, 馕包肉)
This dish is one of the famous Xinjiang dishes, which is called “Tawakawapu” in Uigur language. Such a food with mixed bread and meat represents the traditional folk customs of Xinjiang. The eating methods are diverse and sold almost everywhere, from the snack trolleys to restaurants. As a local dish, it is also served at Islamic feasts and enjoyed by both foreign and Chinese guests.
Snacks
Drinks
Xinjiang Suannaizi (酸奶子)
Originally popular among the Uyghur living in Xinjiang province, Suannaizi is now a household name for the whole nation. It contains a vast quantity of nutrient components, namely lactic acids, lactose, amino acids, mineral composition, atamans and enzymes. Suannaizi is an effective drink to cure stomach-related illnesses, as well as a help in improving high blood pressure and enzyme heart disease conditions.
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