Xinjiang Street Food

5 dishes in China

5 street foods from Xinjiang, China: Wusu Beer, Nang, Samsa, Laghman and Polo. Each one has its own page with the story behind it and what to look for.

🗺️ Open the interactive view All China street food

Street foods of Xinjiang

Night Market Staple · Beer Wusu (乌苏) Beer It's earned the online nickname 'duoming da Wusu,' roughly 'killer big Wusu,' for hitting harder than its modest ABV suggests. Wusu is a crisp, malty lager brewed since 1986 in Wusu City on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains, and it's the drink of choice at skewer stands and night markets from Urumqi to…

Nang (Uyghur Flatbread)

Bread · Baked in a clay oven Nang (Uyghur Flatbread) Because it is baked dry, nang keeps for weeks without spoiling, which made it the staple bread of caravans crossing Silk Road desert routes. A round, chewy-crusted flatbread, stamped with a decorative pattern and topped with sesame or onion, is baked against the walls of a clay tandoor-style oven.

Samsa (Baked Lamb Pastry)

Pastry · Clay-oven baked Samsa (Baked Lamb Pastry) Its Chinese name, literally 'baked baozi,' is misleading — it shares almost nothing with a steamed Chinese baozi beyond a vaguely similar shape. A triangular parcel of dough is filled with minced lamb, onion, and spices, topped with black sesame, and baked by slapping it onto the wall of a tandoor-style oven.

Laghman (Hand-Pulled Noodles with Lamb)

Noodle · Hand-pulled Laghman (Hand-Pulled Noodles with Lamb) The word 'laghman' is generally thought to come from Chinese 'lamian', pulled noodles, and the dish is now eaten across Central Asia from Kazakhstan… Thick, hand-pulled wheat noodles are topped with a stir-fried mix of lamb, bell pepper, tomato, and onion in a savory sauce, tossed together before eating. 🍚 Bazaar Wok · Rice Polo (Uyghur Lamb Pilaf) Its Chinese name, zhuafan, means 'grab rice', because it was traditionally eaten with the hand. Mutton or chicken is fried with onions and thinly sliced carrots, then rice and water go in and everything steams together in one pot. Raisins and dried apricots are sometimes added, and…

More of China

Part of World of Street Food — 3441 dishes from 118 countries. Photo credits.