China is a place where people love food. Food is such a part of the culture that a common greeting all throughout China is 你吃了没有 Ni chile meiyou (have you eaten yet?). One must keep in mind that this country has spawned the world famous Sichuan (Si Chuan) cuisine as well as dim sum and Peking Duck (Beijing Kao Ya) just to name a few.
One might be tempted to think that since Xinjiang is in many ways ethnically and culturally distant from the East, that they might not have the same love of food that other parts of China have. To my pleasant surprise Xinjiang people, like all Chinese people, love to eat and have their own delicious carte du jour to choose from.
If you have the chance to visit Urumqi, the provincial capital, I would suggest dropping by the night market to sample some of the local Uyghur dishes and to have a few of their world famous kabobs. If you like beer, I would suggest the local Sinkiang Black (I believe it to be China’s best) to wash down your tasty meal. Furthermore, they have some amazing melons, grapes and dried foods that you can try for dessert.
Aside from the delicious food, the night market is a great place for a sensory experience. First and foremost is the taste of the food, so good. Come prepared to try something new. It is a great venue from which you can people watch, for one can see people from all over the world. The smell of the roasting mutton or the barbequed fish fills the air and your nostrils in a pleasant and mouth watering way. For your auditory experience, all you have to do is sit in a crowded table and you can overhear, Uyghur, Uzbek, Chinese, Russian and English being spoken.
Below are some photos that k snapped in the night market. Have a look and tell us what you think
kandm
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
0 Responses to “Night Market”