China's Hidden Carb King: Also the Undisputed Meat Champion of the Northwest

Where is the most beautiful place in Xinjiang?

The pear blossoms of Korla in spring, the lavender fields of the Ili Valley in summer, the poplar forests of Luntai Tarim in autumn, or the snow-capped mountains of Altay in winter—every Xinjiang local and visitor has their own answer. But if you ask where the most delicious place in Xinjiang is, true connoisseurs will tell you it’s—

Only in Kashgar can you truly understand what "meat intensity" means. On its food-packed streets, almost every shopfront displays a freshly slaughtered fat lamb in the morning, ready to be turned into kebabs, tandoori meat, stewed meat in a jar, baked buns... Beyond lamb, there’s also big plate chicken, pigeon soup, and stir-fried meat—a nonstop carnivorous feast from dawn to dusk.

Kashgar is also a paradise for carb lovers. Xinjiang wheat is chewy and elastic, yielding noodles that can be topped with stir-fried meat for laghman or chopped into cubes for ding ding noodles. But the ultimate staple is the naan bread, which Kashgar locals rely on from morning till night. Freshly baked naan boasts a rich wheat aroma and is delicious on its own, not to mention its varieties like rose naan, meat naan, and onion naan.

Xinjiang is also heaven for those who love sweets and spice. Pastries stuffed with local dried fruits and yogurt-drizzled honey zongzi let sweet-toothed visitors indulge in Kashgar’s honeyed joy. Xinjiang’s native chili peppers frequently appear in local dishes—big plate chicken, chili naan, and chili laghman—delivering a fragrant, fiery kick without overwhelming heat.

But if you delve deeper into Kashgar, you’ll find its culinary charm isn’t just about bold flavors and hearty meats. Beneath the richness lies millennia of history.

Kashgar, where Xinjiang’s most authentic flavors thrive, deserves to be discovered by more.

Tandoori meat, lung noodles, stewed meat in a jar...

In Kashgar, experience the overwhelming "meat intensity."

Located in the southwest of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Kashgar is a key city south of the Tianshan Mountains and the largest distribution hub for agricultural and pastoral products in southern Xinjiang.

Lamb lovers must visit Kashgar—its tender, flavorful mutton is unmatched nationwide. Even those who dislike lamb should come, as Kashgar will make them fall in love with it. The meat here is fragrant, not gamey, and delicious whether boiled or grilled. Ask a local where the best lamb comes from, and they’ll point to Bachu, Jiashi, Yuepuhu, and Maigaiti—areas with alkaline soil that yields uniquely savory mutton.

Beyond the famed red willow skewers, Kashgar offers diverse lamb preparations. Ribs and tendons are grilled separately, while "meat-wrapped liver" skewers—alternating lamb and liver—deliver a perfect balance of richness and texture.

Beyond skewers, Kashgar’s tandoori meat is a standout. Marinated in onion water, the lamb roasts quickly in the scorching tandoor, emerging crispy outside and juicy inside. Locals also grill beef, horse, and venison, tailoring techniques to each meat—red willow branches for lamb, pear wood for beef and game, and oleaster or poplar for pigeon, each wood imparting distinct aromas.

Even without grilling, Kashgar has endless ways to enjoy lamb. Mornings start with "stewed meat in a jar"—a mini version of clear-braised lamb with carrots, raisins, and chickpeas, paired with "gejide" naan for a hearty breakfast.

At night, rice-stuffed sausages and lung noodles take center stage. The sausages mix rice and spices in lamb intestines, while the noodles involve dough poured into lungs—both steamed to tender perfection and drenched in a secret broth. This nose-to-tail approach reflects Kashgar’s culinary reverence and creativity.

In Kashgar’s old town, fluttering pigeons are a unique sight—and a long-standing delicacy. Though small, their meat is firm, perfect for grilling or stewing.

Today, Kashgar preserves ancient flavors while embracing newer Xinjiang creations like big plate chicken and spicy pepper chicken. As the "crossroads of world civilizations," it remains a melting pot of East-West culinary exchange.

In Kashgar, meat and carbs are inseparable. Pilaf pairs lamb with rice, big plate chicken goes hand-in-hand with laghman, baked buns trap meat juices, and naan wraps around kebabs or steams with lamb for "naan-wrapped meat."

China’s earliest wheat fossils, dating back 5,000 years, were found in Xinjiang’s Jeminay County, traced to Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu region. As humans migrated, wheat traveled the Hexi Corridor to central China—and took root in Kashgar.

Kashgar is a major wheat producer, with long sunlight hours, drastic temperature shifts, and extended growth cycles yielding chewy, aromatic wheat. Dishes like stir-fried meat laghman and ding ding noodles showcase its springy, flavorful noodles.

Plain baked naan, even eaten plain, exudes a rich wheat aroma. The creativity of Kashgar people with naan is not limited to the plain variety—there's sesame naan, onion naan, chili naan, rose naan, meat naan; oily naan, nest-shaped naan, bread-like naan... In Kashgar, you can find naan of all sizes, shapes, and flavors, enough to keep you eating for thirty days and nights.

Naan is the staple food that sustains life for Kashgar people, as well as a symbolic dish. In Kashgar customs, even after a lavish feast, one must break off a piece of naan to eat as a gesture of respect for naan and food itself.

Naan is usually the main staple for meals, while Kashgar's afternoon tea consists of various specialty pastries. Kashgar is abundant in dairy products, honey, nuts, fruits, and dried fruits, all of which are skillfully combined with wheat by locals to create a variety of unique pastries. In the teahouses of Kashgar's old city or under any grape arbor, sipping a pot of milk tea with a plate of pastries while listening to the melodies, drumbeats, and songs of local elders is a uniquely Kashgar happiness.

In Kashgar, you don’t need to search for delicious food—it’s everywhere. This confidence stems from Kashgar’s millennia-old culinary heritage and the locals’ dedication to preserving Xinjiang’s traditional flavors. Walking through Kashgar’s streets, every observant visitor will be drawn to the shop signs on both sides: "Noble Pigeon Soup Nutritious Rice," "Happy Liangpi Shop," "Arriving Soon Lamb Meat Shop"... These humorous and straightforward names reflect the distinctive cultural personality of Kashgar.

Delving deeper into these signs reveals even more interesting details. Outside Kashgar’s old city, there’s a pilaf restaurant called "Master Memet Sawut’s Son’s Pilaf Shop," a naan shop named "Grandpa’s Naan," and inside the old city, there’s even one called "Grandpa’s Grandpa’s Father’s Naan." These seemingly casual names are not random—the references to "son," "father," and "grandpa" signify the generational inheritance of Kashgar’s traditional flavors.

Locals in Kashgar also prefer passing down their fathers’ culinary skills to the next generation. If the father is a pilaf master, the son will likely become one too. Additionally, Kashgar people pay special attention to how long a restaurant has been open, preferring flavors that stay true to the past. This mutual choice between restaurants and diners allows many Kashgar eateries to operate for decades, even centuries, preserving the same traditional tastes across generations.

This inheritance of old flavors can be traced back thousands of years. Kashgar’s geographical location is unique—multiple Silk Road routes leading to the Pamir Plateau converged here. As a cultural crossroads between East and West, Kashgar hosted countless merchants and monks traveling the ancient Silk Road. This constant flow of people made Kashgar the first entry point for Western goods into Xinjiang and the Central Plains. Staple crops like wheat, corn, sorghum, and rice have been cultivated here for millennia.

Moreover, with the Tianshan Mountains to the north and the Karakoram Mountains to the south, Kashgar has long enjoyed abundant irrigation, making it ideal for growing fruits and vegetables. Many heirloom varieties of melons and fruits have been preserved. For example, the Jashi melon, now regarded as Xinjiang’s sweetest, has been found to closely resemble melon seeds unearthed from ancient tombs dating back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties in today’s Jashi County. During the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian’s missions to the Western Regions brought more records of Kashgar’s fruits. Pomegranates were among the tree species he introduced, while the Yengisar Semait apricot, known as "Jade Pearls of the Ice Mountains," was documented as early as the Han Dynasty.

As a major Xinjiang city with millennia of cultural heritage, Kashgar’s flavors are ancient yet ever-vibrant. Its food is irresistibly enticing, and with Xinjiang’s scenery at its finest now, a trip to Kashgar is a must.