China’s Xinjiang Region has some of the most UNIQUE dishes in the country! Here’s a list of 8 Xinjiang food items you need to try.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy/book something through one of these links, I will receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you! This allows me to keep my blog operating. Thank you!
Xinjiang Food You HAVE To Try!
Step away from the stir-fries and ramen bowls – China’s westernmost region has food unlike ANYWHERE else in the country!
I visited Xinjiang in late 2023. Before I went, I got tips on how to eat like a local from a friend of mine who worked in the region’s capital city for several years.
So if you’re looking to eat like a local, look no further! All the juicy recommendations for Xinjiang foods are below!
1. Kebab: Most Popular Food in Xinjiang
If you don’t try kebab while in Xinjiang, can you even say you went to Xinjiang?
Locally called “chuan” or “chua’er” (written: 串儿), China has versions of these kebabs everywhere. But EVERYONE knows that Xinjiang region has the BEST kebabs in the country!
Famous for its tender and delicious local lamb, Xinjiang’s kebabs are otherworldly. There is no limit to the variety of ways in which kebab is served!
Typically, kebabs are lamb, but they can also be beef! Whether served a bed of vegetables, alongside of homemade yogurt, or simply roasted on a skewer, you won’t be able to get enough of this Xinjiang food!
Related Articles:
- What To Eat in Enshi China MUST TRY DISHES! (2023)
- Chengdu China Food: 9 Dishes You HAVE To Try (2023)
- Sanya China Food: 5 Local Dishes you MUST Try!
- What to do in Xinjiang: BEST Travel Guide (2024)
- Is Xinjiang Safe for Tourists? Best 2024 Guide
2. Pilaf: Comfort Food of Xinjiang Region
Pilaf is probably one of my FAVORITE dishes from China, period! Locally called “shouzhuafan” (written: 手抓饭), this is a MUST-HAVE dish!
There are actually versions of this dish all throughout Eastern Europe/Western Asia. Friends of mine from Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey have shared that they have their own spins on this dish!
Made with rice cooked along with Xinjiang’s famous lamb kebab, adding shredded carrots and locally grown raisins gives this dish a sweetness that pairs perfectly with the fatty tastes of the meat.
Locals eat this dish with their hands, since the rice is easily packed together using one’s fingers. But if you prefer to use a spoon, no one will give you a hard time for that!
3. Bopi Buns
See those massive dumplings in the back corner? Locally called “bopi baozi” or “薄皮包子“, these little buns are a local version of a steamed bun or dumpling.
Filled with juicy meats and quite soupy, these steamed buns go PERFECTLY with a meal of kebab and pilaf!
These are one of those local foods which tourists don’t often know about, but locals enjoy in droves. So consider yourself lucky; you have the chance to try a lesser known (but no less delicious!) Xinjiang food!
4. Kazakh Breakfast
Since Xinjiang region borders several of the “-stan” countries, it’s no surprise that foods from the surrounding regions have found their way into Xinjiang. In Xinjiang, it’s easy to track down a traditional Kazakh Breakfast.
Such a meal will usually consist of horse sausage, vegetables, bread with jam, and a large bowl of Milk Tea (the Kazakh version is not sweet, so it’s quite different from the boba-tea drink that you’ll find around China).
Honestly, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this breakfast. But I’m glad I tried it, because it really was an experience!
5. Uighur BreakfasT
This meal was the ENTIRE highlight of my culinary trip in Xinjiang!! I cannot express enough how incredible it was!
First of all, you need to SPECIFICALLY go to Livant Coffee (written: 黎弯德咖啡馆) restaurant in Urumqi. Here’s a link to the restaurant on Trip.com!
For $20 USD, you’ll be served a MASSIVE and BEAUTIFUL locally-made breakfast, complete with fresh-squeezed orange juice and beautiful coffees.
Not to mention that the waiters wearing tuxes and white gloves provide INCREDIBLE service.
If Urumqi is on your list of stops in Xinjiang, then you ABSOLUTELY MUST visit this restaurant for its breakfast!
6. Melon & Pomegranates: Xinjiang Snack Food
If you walk around in the evening, you’ll see cart after cart of vendors selling huge slices of honeydew melons on sticks. It’ll cost between $1-2 USD per melon stick, and it’s TOTALLY worth it!
The region is famous for enjoying its melon, and you’ll be hard pressed to find sweeter, softer melon anywhere else in China!
In addition to melons, pomegranates are grown locally. I’ve had pomegranate juice in both Turkey and Israel…and I have to say, Xinjiang definitely outplayed them!
For $3-4 dollars, a fresh-squeezed glass of pomegranate juice is a sweet and healthy treat to sip on as you stroll the streets of Xinjiang.
7. Local Ice Cream
This is one of those things you WON’T know unless someone who’s lived there tells you about it! While in Xinjiang, you HAVE to try “Awulali Ice Cream” (written: 啊吾拉力冰激凌).
Thankfully my friend didn’t gate-keep. This local brand of ice cream has stores all over Xinjiang, and their local flavor is nutty and vanilla-y and sweet.
I definitely bought and ate two ice creams in the same sitting…if that gives you any idea of how good it is!
8. Lamb Intestines: A More Daring Xinjiang Food
Okay, I’ll admit it…I wasn’t brave enough to eat this.
But my meat-loving partner was, and he REALLY enjoyed it! For $4 USD, he got a pretty big bowl of assorted sheep parts. The restaurant was pretty “hole-in-the-wall” vibes and had lots of elderly locals in it.
Since the region is big on its sheep, I can imagine that this dish is probably nutritious and tasty if you’re into that kind of thing. But for me…it’s just a no.
Bonus: Try Local Xinjiang Milk!
This isn’t a Xinjiang food; it’s actually a Xinjiang beverage!
Locals in Xinjiang consume all kinds of milks, including horse, sheep, and even camel!
We tried horse milk and camel milk. I’m not a milk person, so I didn’t like either! My partner, who loves milk, said that the camel milk tasted somehow “spicy”. But he did love the horse milk!
It’s an interesting experience, if nothing else! So why not give it a shot?
XInjiang Food: Summary
A few other dishes you might want to try are:
- Xinjiang Big Chicken (called “DaPanJi”)
- Naan Bread
- Samsa (roasted dumplings)
I hope this list gave you a solid idea of what to eat in Xinjiang!
Xinjiang food is absolutely DELICIOUS, and so unique! Definitely plan to eat (and walk!) a LOT during your time there!
You May Also Like:
- What to do in Xinjiang: BEST Travel Guide (2024)
- Is Xinjiang Safe for Tourists? Best 2024 Guide
- 8 Sanya China Restaurants You Will LOVE (2023)
- 7 AMAZING Restaurants in Chengdu China (2023)
