Before going to Xinjiang, I had very little idea what Xinjiang food was. If you had asked me what food I associated with Xinjiang, I would probably have said BBQ lamb and not much else.
I also had a rather simple picture of Xinjiang in my head: lots of desert, dry landscapes and perhaps not much in the way of vegetables or fruit. After doing a little research before the trip, I realised how wrong that picture was. Xinjiang is famous for its grapes, apples, pomegranates, plums, pears and, of course, its melons, with Turpan and other oasis areas particularly well known for fruit production.
Then we actually arrived, and food turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip.
There were noodles in all sorts of forms, grilled meats, pilaf, naan, yoghurt, tea, fresh fruit, vegetables, soups and plenty of things I had never encountered before. Leafy green vegetables were not necessarily the star of every meal, but tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, onions and other vegetables appeared regularly.
There is also a useful bit of history behind this variety. Xinjiang has long been part of the wider network of routes commonly known as the Silk Roads. The routes passing through the region connected oasis settlements and mountain corridors with Central Asia and further west, allowing not only goods but also agricultural products, ingredients, cooking techniques and food traditions to move between communities. UNESCO’s description of the Silk Roads emphasises this wider exchange of crops, technologies and cultural practices, rather than seeing them simply as routes for transporting luxury goods.
That history is particularly noticeable when looking at Xinjiang’s food. You have Central Asian-influenced breads and dairy products alongside Chinese-style noodles, stir-fries and soups, while lamb, beef, chicken, fruit and spices appear repeatedly across the region.
We were travelling as just two people, so there was no way we could try everything. These are 13 of the foods and food experiences that stood out most during our time in Xinjiang.
1. Lamb BBQ 烤羊肉串
If there is one food I expected to eat in Xinjiang, it was BBQ lamb, and thankfully this was not difficult to find.
Lamb skewers appeared everywhere, from restaurants to street stalls and night markets. The meat was usually seasoned quite simply, allowing the flavour of the lamb to come through, with spices adding a little heat and fragrance.
I have always liked BBQ lamb, but there was something particularly satisfying about eating it outside on a cool evening in Xinjiang. The fat rendered from the meat while it was being grilled, leaving the edges slightly crisp while the inside remained tender.
We were told by locals that lamb is such an important part of the local diet that keeping it affordable is taken seriously, although I would treat that as something we were told rather than a fact I can independently verify. Either way, lamb was certainly not difficult to find during our trip.
The photos from Shanshan show exactly the kind of food we kept coming across: grilled lamb skewers alongside other small dishes such as spicy grilled tofu. In a region where lamb is such a prominent ingredient, this is one food I would consider essential rather than optional.
And yes, I ate plenty of it.
2. Dapanji 大盘鸡 — Chicken, Potatoes and Noodles
Dapanji, or 大盘鸡, literally means “big plate chicken”, and the name is quite appropriate because the dish tends to arrive in a very generous portion.
The dish generally consists of chicken cooked with potatoes, green peppers and spices, often served with wide belt-like noodles known as 皮带面. It is strongly associated with Shawan in northern Xinjiang and became popular in the late twentieth century. Local sources describe the combination of chicken, potatoes and noodles as a dish that developed into a popular communal meal, particularly because it was substantial enough to share.
Frankly speaking, this dish reminded me strongly of Malaysian curry chicken with potatoes, which is all too awesome for me because curry chicken with potatoes is one of my favourites.
The seasoning is different from Malaysian curry, but the combination of chicken, potatoes and sauce immediately felt familiar. The potatoes were soft and had absorbed the flavour of the sauce, while the chicken was tender and mildly spicy rather than overwhelmingly hot.
The portions were another matter. We ordered what looked like a middle-sized portion and still received a plate that felt rather ambitious for two people.
I have heard that some people complain about the amount of potato in dapanji, with the argument that there is too much potato and not enough chicken. Personally, I have no such complaint. Give me the potatoes.
The wide noodles are also an important part of the dish rather than just an accompaniment, making dapanji a good example of how Xinjiang’s food often combines meat, vegetables and noodles into one substantial meal.
3. Yogurt with Glutinous Rice 酸奶粽子
This was one of the foods I had absolutely no idea existed before visiting Xinjiang.
The basic idea is quite simple: glutinous rice topped with yoghurt and various sauces or fruit jam, sometimes with sesame seeds or other toppings.
The first time I saw it, I was slightly hesitant because the little bowls of brightly coloured jam did not exactly make it look like what I would normally consider a serious meal. I also expected it to be extremely sweet.
It was actually much more balanced than I expected. The fruit jam provided the sweetness while the yoghurt added a noticeable sourness, and the glutinous rice gave the dessert a chewy texture.
I wish we had tried it earlier during the trip instead of waiting until later.
The photos from Turpan show the dessert particularly well, with the yoghurt and toppings sitting over the sticky rice. Dairy products have long been important in the food traditions of communities across the wider Central Asian region, particularly among pastoral societies, while Xinjiang’s oasis settlements developed their own agricultural and food traditions around fruit, grains and vegetables. The result today is a cuisine where dairy, fruit and grains can appear together in combinations that may be unfamiliar to visitors.
I also tried a local yoghurt drink towards the end of the trip. It had a fruity, berry-like flavour mixed with the tanginess of yoghurt. Unfortunately, I only tried it once, so I cannot even say that I explored the different versions available.
4. Xinjiang Melons
There is no photograph for this one because we ate the melon too quickly.
Xinjiang’s fruit deserves its own category, particularly the melons. They were sweet, juicy and sometimes very soft, while others had a little more crunch.
We bought sliced melon regularly, often for around RMB5 a slice, depending on where we bought it. It was certainly possible to find cheaper fruit in Malaysia, but the quality of the Xinjiang fruit was excellent.
The geography helps explain why fruit is such an important part of the region’s food culture. Xinjiang is enormous, and although much of the landscape is extremely dry, the region contains numerous oasis areas where agriculture is possible. Turpan is a particularly good example. Traditional underground irrigation systems known as karez helped bring water to agricultural settlements in the Turpan Basin, supporting vineyards and other crops in an otherwise arid environment. The oasis landscape along the Silk Roads was closely connected with the development of agriculture and settlement.
Among all the fruit we tried, honey melon was probably my favourite.
5. Xinjiang Noodles
I am quite partial to noodles, and Xinjiang noodles suited me very well.
The noodles were generally round, chewy and substantial rather than thin and soft. Sauces were also usually quite balanced; they were not so dry that the noodles became difficult to eat, but neither were they swimming in sauce.
One of the dishes we ordered was a simple homestyle noodle dish with chicken, tomatoes, vegetables and chilli oil. It was not an elaborate dish, but the combination worked very well, particularly with the chewy noodles.
We also had spicy fried noodles and several other versions of hand-pulled noodles during the trip.
Someone told us that the dry climate contributes to the distinctive texture of Xinjiang noodles. I have no idea how scientific that explanation is, so I will leave that one as something I was told rather than a fact, but the noodles certainly had a texture that I liked.
There is a much bigger historical story behind Xinjiang noodles as well. The region’s location along the Silk Roads meant that different communities and culinary traditions interacted over centuries. UNESCO’s Silk Road research describes Xinjiang’s routes as part of a wider network linking China with Central Asia, with ingredients, agricultural practices and culinary knowledge moving along these routes.
Xinjiang’s 拌面 and 拉条子 are particularly good examples of this food culture. Local descriptions connect the dishes with different communities and competing origin stories, but agree that the noodle tradition became deeply established in Xinjiang through historical interaction between different groups. Versions are commonly served with vegetables such as tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, aubergine and other seasonal produce, together with beef or lamb.
For me, the important part was much simpler: I like chewy noodles, and Xinjiang has very good chewy noodles.
Go eat the noodles.
6. Flower and Herb Tea
Tea was something we encountered throughout Xinjiang, although it was not necessarily the kind of tea I normally associate with Chinese tea culture.
Restaurants often served a light tea, sometimes with herbs or fruit rather than a strong tea-leaf flavour. I generally do not enjoy tea that is extremely bitter or astringent unless I can add milk, so the lighter teas suited me much better.
The photos from Hotan and Yarkand show some of the more elaborate tea settings we encountered, including tea served with dried fruits and nuts. In other places it was simply a light drink served alongside a meal.
There are also more unusual ingredients available in Xinjiang, including saffron and various herbal ingredients, although we did not go out of our way to try the expensive varieties.
Given the dry climate, having tea or another drink regularly also made practical sense while travelling. We drank plenty of fluids throughout the trip, particularly when walking around markets and old towns.
7. Smoked Salted Eggs — And the Stall Owner Who Gave Me Two
This one has almost nothing to do with the egg itself and everything to do with the person selling it.
At one of the night bazaars, we came across a stall selling smoked eggs. There was quite a selection, including chicken, pigeon, duck, goose and, surprisingly, ostrich eggs.
I randomly chose a stall and, as far as I remember, we were the only customers there.
The owner was very friendly and started chatting with us while preparing the eggs. I ordered one smoked egg and waited. Then I waited some more.
At some point, perhaps because I had been standing there for so long, the owner offered me an ice cream while I waited.
Eventually, he gave me two eggs even though I had only ordered one.
We chatted about Malaysia, and he joked that I could open a stall selling the same thing there. I am not convinced Malaysians would be particularly enthusiastic about buying smoked eggs outside when they can simply cook eggs at home, but I appreciated the suggestion.
It was the kind of small encounter that made the night market more interesting. The food itself was fine, but the owner was genuinely interested in talking to us, which made the whole experience much more memorable.
8. Pigeon Soup Noodles in Shache
Shache, also known as Yarkand, was another place where we encountered foods that were quite different from what I normally eat.
One of them was pigeon soup noodles.
At this point, I would probably say that no pigeon can escape from Shache.
The cooking itself was not bad, but I could detect a slight gamey or “腥” taste in the pigeon, which I did not particularly enjoy. I did not order it again after that, although I am still glad we tried it.
Pigeon is associated with the local food culture of Shache, and it appears in different preparations, including soups and grilled versions. We also came across grilled pigeon during the trip.
Shache sits on one of the historic southern Silk Road routes through Xinjiang, connecting the wider Kashgar region with places such as Khotan and the routes towards Central Asia. The area’s position as an oasis settlement helps explain why its food culture developed through such a mixture of local, Central Asian and wider Chinese influences.
9. Naan 烤馕
Naan is one of the foods that is difficult to miss in Xinjiang.
For me, the best way to eat it was hot, preferably alongside roast lamb or another grilled meat. As a Malaysian, I have been thoroughly spoiled by mamak naan, so Xinjiang naan did not necessarily give me the same reaction as it might for someone who did not grow up eating naan regularly.
What I enjoyed more was watching it being baked. The naan is traditionally cooked inside a large clay oven, producing a flat, crisp-edged bread that works particularly well with meat and other dishes.
In Kuqa, we even visited Grand Naan City, where the giant naan monument makes it very clear just how important this bread is to local food culture.
Naan also fits neatly into the wider Central Asian food story of Xinjiang. Bread-making traditions have deep roots across Central Asia, and the movement of people and food traditions along the Silk Roads helped create the diverse bread culture found across the region today.
It was not the most exciting food of the trip for me, but when there was hot roast meat involved, naan was a very useful companion.
10. 手抓饭 — Xinjiang Pilaf
Hand-grabbed rice, or 手抓饭, is another Xinjiang staple that we tried a few times.
The rice was fragrant and the meat was tender, and I could understand why the dish is so popular. The main problem for me was the amount of oil. I found it quite heavy, particularly after having so many other rich dishes during the trip.
The version we had in Shanshan came with tender lamb and pickled vegetables, which helped balance the richness.
Pilaf traditions are widespread across Central Asia, and Xinjiang’s version reflects the region’s historical connections with Central Asian food cultures. Rice, lamb, carrots and other ingredients are cooked together into a filling dish that works particularly well as a shared meal.
It is definitely worth trying, even if you may want something lighter afterwards.
11. Kuqa Ice Cream
The mulberry ice cream in Kuqa deserves its own section because I went back for it every single day.
I cannot remember the exact name of the local brand, but it was famous enough that finding it was not difficult. We stayed in Kuqa for three days, and I returned each day.
It was roughly a 30-minute walk for us, but the route took us through the walking streets connecting some of Kuqa’s attractions, so it was an easy enough stop while exploring the old town.
The mulberry flavour was exactly what I wanted from an ice cream: fruity, sweet and refreshing without being too heavy.
We also came across traditional Uyghur-style ice cream served with jam and nuts around Restan Old Street, which was another version worth trying.
But the mulberry ice cream was the one I kept going back for.
It was the ice cream of my dreams.
12. 烤包子 — Roasted Buns
烤包子, or roasted buns, are another food I would recommend eating while they are still hot.
The version we had in Kuqa’s old town had a beautifully browned and crisp exterior, with a savoury filling inside. These are particularly good when they have just come out of the oven, when the pastry is still crisp.
They are also a good example of how Xinjiang’s food vocabulary overlaps with the wider Central Asian and West Asian tradition of filled baked breads and pastries. Similar foods are found under different names across the region.
There is not a huge story behind this one from our trip, but it is simply something I would not skip if you see a fresh batch being taken out of the oven.
13. Sichuan-Style Spicy Yak Meat in Subashen Village
This is technically the odd one out because I am not sure whether it can properly be called a Xinjiang dish.
We ate it at Muyun Shanzhuang in Subashen Village, where the meat was local yak but the owner was from Sichuan, so the cooking style was much more Sichuan than traditional Xinjiang.
The yak meat was grilled until the outside was dry and slightly crunchy while the inside remained tender. It was spicy, savoury and very easy to keep eating.
The roasted corn that came with it was also excellent, with a little sweetness and a slight chilli kick while still retaining some crunch.
The portion was enormous. There was more than enough for two people and, in my opinion, enough for four or five people depending on how many other dishes were ordered. It was around RMB158, which I thought was quite reasonable given the size.
We simply could not finish it.
This was probably one of my top two food experiences of the trip, even though it was not really a traditional Xinjiang dish. In fact, the combination made it interesting: local yak meat prepared by someone from Sichuan, eaten in a small village in Xinjiang.
It was a very good example of how food changes as people move between places.
More Food We Ate Around Xinjiang
Of course, these 13 foods are nowhere near everything we ate.
The photographs from the trip probably show this better than the list does. We ate our way through Turpan, Shanshan, Kuqa, Hotan, Moyu, Shache/Yarkand, Kashgar and smaller places along the way, and there were plenty of meals that did not fit neatly into a “top 13” list.
Turpan: More Than Grapes
Turpan is particularly interesting from a food perspective because the surrounding landscape looks so dry, yet the city is surrounded by an agricultural oasis.
The tables we had in Turpan included far more vegetables than I expected before coming to Xinjiang. One meal included stir-fried leafy greens with garlic, chilli and onions, while another featured chicken stir-fried with onions, peppers and spices.
At Firezhou Banquet in Turpan, we saw a more traditional presentation of lamb, including a hanging lamb rack. We also had crispy fried small river fish, which was another reminder that Xinjiang food is not simply a matter of grilled meat.
There were also yoghurt desserts, including yoghurt with honey and mint, purple fruit yoghurt smoothies and other sweet dishes.
Turpan’s famous grapes are only part of the story. The city’s agricultural landscape depends on irrigation in an otherwise extremely dry environment, and the historic karez system is one of the best-known examples of how communities developed ways to move groundwater to cultivated areas. The resulting oasis supported vineyards, fruit orchards and other agriculture for centuries.
So yes, there was fruit.
Quite a lot of it.
Shanshan: Noodles, Lamb and Cold Dishes
In Shanshan, our meals continued to show how varied everyday Xinjiang food can be.
There were grilled lamb skewers, Xinjiang cold noodles topped with shredded cucumber and chilli, stir-fried cabbage with chilli and pieces of flatbread, and yoghurt topped with raisins and sugar.
One meal included lamb pilaf with a lamb shank and pickled vegetables, which was particularly filling.
We also tried local drinks, and the combination of fruit, yoghurt, tea and savoury dishes made it increasingly difficult to maintain my original idea that Xinjiang food would mainly consist of lamb and bread.
Hotan and Moyu: Street Food, Tea and Cafés
Hotan was another place where the food variety became particularly obvious.
The night markets had plenty of snacks and grilled food, while the Old Night Market offered braised lamb and other street dishes.
We had hand-pulled fried noodles, vegetable fritters, spicy whole fish and baked buns, as well as honey peppermint tea.
In Moyu County, we even came across sand coffee, which was quite different from the usual coffee shops we encountered elsewhere.
And then there were the cafés.
One meal included a strawberry croissant, layered iced coffee and tiramisu, which was not exactly what I expected when travelling through southern Xinjiang but was certainly welcome.
This was one of the things I liked about eating around Xinjiang: traditional dishes and modern café food could exist within the same trip.
Shache and Yarkand: Pigeon, Noodles and Naan
Shache, also known historically as Yarkand, gave us another collection of local dishes.
There was roast chicken served with naan, roast lamb naan, tomato and scrambled eggs with herbs, Yarkand-style liangfen with chilli, chickpeas and herbs, and several yoghurt-based desserts.
At the Old Cinema Tea House, we had yoghurt desserts served with fruit jam and naan, including a version with sesame crust and fruit sauce. We also had Uyghur tea served with dried fruit and nuts.
The pigeon noodles were probably the most unusual of the group for me, while the yoghurt desserts were much closer to something I would happily eat again.
Kashgar: Breakfast Is a Serious Business
Kashgar gave us some of the most photogenic food spreads of the trip.
At breakfast near Kunlun Tower, there were colourful Uyghur breakfast dishes alongside more familiar continental-style options. We had baked eggs with cherry tomatoes, olives and vegetables, as well as traditional breads, fruits, nuts and juice.
There were also lamb soup, lamb pilaf and yoghurt drinks served in copper cups.
Around Kashgar Ancient City and the Gaotai Residences, we found more combinations of naan, yoghurt, tea and sweets. One café served naan coffee alongside naan with yoghurt, rose petals and nuts, while another dessert combined sticky rice, yoghurt and amber-coloured syrup.
Even the breakfast tables could look like a small feast.
Yak Hot Pot in Tashkurgan
Further towards Tashkurgan, yak appeared again, this time in a completely different form.
We had yak hot pot served in a copper pot, another reminder that the food changes noticeably as you move through Xinjiang’s different landscapes and communities.
Yak is particularly associated with the high-altitude areas around the Pamirs and Tibetan Plateau, where the animals are well suited to the environment. Compared with the grilled yak we had in Subashen Village, the hot pot was a completely different way of eating the same broad category of meat.
A Few Practical Food and Travel Tips for Xinjiang
Expect long distances
Xinjiang is enormous, so eating your way around the region also means spending a lot of time travelling between places.
Turpan, Shanshan, Kuqa, Hotan, Shache, Kashgar and Tashkurgan are not places you can treat like neighbouring towns. Build your itinerary around the actual distances and transport connections rather than assuming that two places which look close on a map will be quick to reach.
For longer journeys, check train and flight options before travelling, particularly if your itinerary is fixed. For smaller towns and villages, road travel can become much more important.
Give yourself time in the old towns and markets
A lot of the food experiences mentioned above came from simply walking through old-town streets, night markets and local food areas rather than going specifically to a famous restaurant.
Kuqa’s Restan Old Street, the old streets of Kashgar and the night markets in Hotan were particularly useful for seeing a wider range of snacks and local foods.
Opening hours for markets and individual food stalls can vary, so it is worth checking locally rather than assuming that a market will be operating throughout the day.
Don’t underestimate portion sizes
Dapanji is the obvious example, but several meals we had were considerably larger than expected.
For two people, ordering several large main dishes can easily become too much food. Where possible, start with fewer dishes and order more later.
This is particularly useful when you want to try different foods rather than spending the rest of the meal trying to finish one enormous plate.
Be aware of local Muslim food traditions
Xinjiang is home to large Muslim communities, including Uyghur communities, and halal food traditions are an important part of everyday eating in many areas.
As visitors, we found it easiest simply to follow the local setting and respect the food customs of the restaurant or neighbourhood we were in. If you are travelling in a predominantly Muslim area, there is no reason to make pork or non-halal food a subject of conversation when there are so many other things to eat.
Try the food outside the obvious tourist dishes
BBQ lamb is probably the easiest food to associate with Xinjiang, and you should absolutely eat it.
But do not stop there.
The noodles were one of my favourites, the melons were excellent, the yoghurt desserts were much better than I expected, and the mulberry ice cream in Kuqa was something I kept going back for.
The food we encountered in smaller towns and villages was also some of the most interesting, particularly the Sichuan-style yak meat at Subashen Village.
Final Thoughts
So yes, there were plenty of other dishes we ate that are not on this list. Some were excellent, some were simply nice, and some I have completely forgotten the names of. I also have photographs of quite a few of them, so perhaps I will add them here when I remember what they were.
For now, these are the foods that stayed in my memory — especially the mulberry ice cream in Kuqa, the noodles, the honey melon, the BBQ lamb and that enormous plate of Sichuan-style spicy yak meat.
Xinjiang has a lot more to offer than BBQ lamb.
But definitely eat the BBQ lamb too.
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