Uyghur Cuisine

Uyghur cuisine is the food culture of the Uyghur(維吾爾) people, whose homeland is in and around the Tarim Basin of Xinjiang(新疆), China.

Uyghur people historically settled at oases near the Tian mountains. They are a Turkic people related to other ethnic groups of central Asia. They have had historical ties people from neighboring regions, notably the Chinese.

Uyghur cuisine shows a mix of influences from the east and west: tandoor bread, pilaf, yogurt, and grapes show influence from the Middle East via Central Asia; pulled noodle show influence from central and northern China, particularly Shaanxi. Perhaps the Silk Road helped facilitate cultural exchange.

Islam is also a major part of Uyghur culture. Because Uyghur people are primarily Muslim, they avoid eating pork; lamb and beef are normally used for meat.

Uyghur people traditionally use tandoor, clay ovens, to bake bread and dumplings. Skewers are used to roast meat.

Ingredients

Wheat is a staple in Uyghur cuisine. It is used for noodles, dumplings, flatbread, and pastries.

Rice is not a major food, but it is used for pilaf.

Onion is a common vegetable, particularly red onion. Carrot was probably introduced long ago from Persia. Potato, tomato, and chili can be found today.

The Uyghur people produce sultana or golden raisin from seedless green grapes as well as raisins from other varieties of grapes. Apricots(杏) are also dried(杏幹).

Melons are also available in Uyghur cuisine. The famous variety hami melon(哈密瓜) probably originated from another ancient people in present Hami, Xinjiang, but they continued to be grown under Uyghur dominance and are now widely popular across China.

Sesame(芝麻) is a popular garnish. Walnut is sometimes added to sweets or breads, usually crushed.

Mutton(羊肉) is the most common type of meat. All parts of a lamb are used.

Beef is also used. Milk and yogurt are common ingredients.

Dishes

• pulled noodles(لەڭمەن langman)[拉條子 / 拉麵]: wheat dough pulled into long noodles
• sangza(ساڭزا sangza)[饊子]: twists of fried wheat dough strands
• nan(نان nan)[饢]: flatbread baked in tandoor or clay oven
• goshnan(گۆشنان goshnan)[饢包肉]: flatbread with cumin-seasoned lamb or other meat filling
• manta(مانتا manta)[饅頭 / 包子]: dumpling with juicy filling
• samosa(سامسا samsa)[烤包子]: roasted bun with savory filling
• yutazi(يۇتازا yutazi)[油塔子]: pyramid-shaped pastry
• pilaf(ﭘﻮﻟﯘ polu)[抓飯]: rice with added ingredients, often eaten by hand
• kebab(كاۋاپلار kawaplar)[串兒]: roasted skewered meat
• dapanji(چوڭ تەخسە توخۇ قورۇمىسى chong texse toxu qorumisi)[大盤雞]:
• lamb soup(شورپا shorpa)[羊湯]
• yogurt