Every once in a while there rises from within an ethnic group a particular cultural characteristic that tends to represent the group as a whole. Interestingly it has a tendency to be food: burgers in America; pasta in Italy; rice in China. For the Uyghurs, a small ethnic group situated in this large province of China, it's their bread.
The Uyghur Bread Stand
It's pretty much impossible to walk a city block anywhere in Xinjiang without running into a Uyghur bread stand. The stands selling this bread, also referred to as "nan" or "nang", are more common to this part of China than Starbucks is in America (but thankfully they're much cheaper!). The stand itself is pretty simple. It usually consists of a small room to mix the dough next to a large stove, called the "tonnir", right outside to bake the bread. This stove, a big stomach shape with a small mouth is usually made of sun-dried earth bricks and heated by either coal or wood.
Whenever I pass one of these stands I can't help but be taken in by the intoxicating smell of fresh bread and during the bitter cold of the winter I am drawn to the heat generated by the stove. In fact, this may be one of the strongest memories that I will carry with me whenever I decide to finally leave Xinjiang.
The Bread
I have been told that there are over 50 different kinds of Uyghur bread. I didn't believe this number until I noticed that I rarely see the same kind of bread at two different stands. Here's a small list of just a few that I have seen so far:
- Flat Bread - usually round in shape
- Flaky Bread
- Small Baguette Bread
- Sourdough Bread
- Bagel Breads
On top of that, each stand has its own assortment of "goodies" that they may mix or cover the bread including onions, sesame seeds, hot spices, and meat. It really is amazing to see the creativity that is put into some of these family recipes.
Don't Miss Out
Visiting Xinjiang without eating Uyghur bread is pretty much a sin. It's dirt cheap as long as you're not buying it at the airport or a tourist trap. Just remember that if you're paying anything over 2 yuan for a single piece you're getting ripped a good one. Also it's a good idea to get it while it's hot, as I personally enjoy my bread soft instead of crunchy. Whether you eat it with kebabs, dip it in the DaPanJi sauce, or just eat it by itself, don't miss out on this Xinjiang-Uyghur specialty.
A man sells his bread in Kashgar
11 Comments:
It's difficult to find fresh nan in Shenzhen, but it can be done. The bagel style is pretty good if you have a toaster and some cream cheese.
After reading your post, I am craving some fresh nan and lamb kabobs. The stand you described sounds very similar to the shao bing stand in my apartment community in Beijing. Every morning when I walk by it, the delicious scent leaves me no choice but to buy one. Great post Josh.
Yea, I like the Uyghur bread. There is a lot of available in Kunming and I am told it is fairly much the real things. I like it sort of plain really and toasted, I do not like too many spices sprinkled onto. Right outside the gate of my school are several Muslim "Qing Zhen" restaurants. Sometimes too spicy for my palate, but I usually find something.
Bill
In Merkit (a small town on the edge of the Taklimakan several hours from Qeshqer) I found a stand selling nan topped with a mixture of slightly sweetened almonds and walnuts. It was a wonderful treat. I've never seen it anywhere else during my time in XJ.
By the way: I'm an aspiring scholar of music in XJ. Found your blog via a Google alert. Nice work.
i think Nan is common food in the Muslim world, because i have seen it in Pakistani and Iranian restaurants.
@ Matt - As much as I love your idea and even though we have a toaster, we have no cream cheese!
@ Elise - almonds and walnuts sounds amazing! I haven't personally seen that one yet, but I find new things every day around here.
@Peter - I'm sure you're right. I've personally never been to either of those countries so I can't speak from experience. Is their bread the same or a bit different, do you know?
Some of the best food in Tianjin comes from Xinjiang, or at least the Uyghurs who live here. Though we're seriously lacking in the bagel category. Someone needs to tell Xinjiang that Tianjin needs roadside bagels. Enough with the car-exhaust-covered dried fruit carts - we want bagels!
Ahhh you're getting me excited for this Xinjiang trip next month. How's the weather these days? I'm having a hard time with Chengdu's balmy 40 degree weather so I'm a bit worried about those desert nights. Maybe it's just the lack of central heating everywhere...
That's why I love xin jiang.All foods seem yummy. It becomes in my must visit place's list. Wanna go there...TT
looks very similar to the nans we have in the asian subcontinent. The terms sound very similar to, like "naan" and "tandoor" for where the naan is made. Interesting to see how different people do things differently....now let me go and get some naan :)
looks very similar to the nans we have in the asian subcontinent. The terms sound very similar to, like "naan" and "tandoor" for where the naan is made. Interesting to see how different people do things differently....now let me go and get some naan :)
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