Western Chinese Cuisine

Naan bread is one of the most popular dishes in Xinjiang.

Western China is mainly Xinjiang Province and Tibet. The food reflects the characteristics of the culture, geography, climate, and agriculture of this region.

Xinjiang Cuisine — Halal Food

The region of Xinjiang in northwest China is traditionally home to ethnic Muslim peoples like the Uighur (pronounced wee-ger), so there is no pork or carnivorous animals on the menu. Being a region with lots of pasture, sheep features on top of the menu. Xinjiang is also famous for its fruit, particularly dried fruit.

Ingredients

Xinjiang is mostly composed of deserts and mountains, so arable land is limited. Wheat is the main staple grain, and a few vegetables are grown there, mostly onions, carrots, peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes. Xinjiang is also famous for its fruit, particularly dried fruit.

Being a region with lots of pasture, Xinjiang cuisine features mutton top of its ingredients list. Other protein foods include beef, camel meat, horse meat, and various dairy foods.

Xinjiang is a multi-ethnic area, so the diet of this region varies with ethnic customs, beliefs, and ways of life. There is Uyghur cuisine mainly, but also Han, Kazakh, Russian, Tibetan, etc. The common cooking methods include stir frying, roasting, and steaming.

Where to Eat Xinjiang Cuisine

Halal food and Muslim (Xinjiang) restaurants can be found in cities and towns all over China. As Xinjiang is a poor region, many people have left their hometowns to open restaurants or food stands in other cities, which offer more economic possibilities.

Some of the most popular Xinjiang dishes include roasted mutton kebabs, roast chicken (大盘鸡 dàpánjī /daa-pan-jee/ 'big plate chicken'), 'grab rice' (抓饭 zhuāfàn /jwaa-fan/), 'hand-pulled noodles' (手拉面 shǒulāmiàn /shoh-laa-myen/), and naan bread (馕 náng /nung/).

Xinjiang Cuisine Menu