Western China Food

Western China is mainly Xinjiang Province and Tibet. The food reflects the characteristics of the culture, geography, climate, and agriculture of this region.
Xinjiang Cuisine - Halal Food
The region of Xinjiang in northwest China is traditionally home to ethnic Muslim peoples like the Uighur (pronounced wee-ger), so there is no pork or carnivorous animals on the menu. Being a region with lots of pasture, sheep features on top of the menu. Xinjiang is also famous for its fruit, particularly dried fruit.
Ingredients
Xinjiang is mostly composed of deserts and mountains, so arable land is limited. Wheat is the main staple grain, and a few vegetables are grown there, mostly onions, carrots, peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes. Xinjiang is also famous for its fruit, particularly dried fruit.
Being a region with lots of pasture, Xinjiang cuisine features mutton top of its ingredients list. Other protein foods include beef, camel meat, horse meat, and various dairy foods.
Xinjiang is a multi-ethnic area, so the diet of this region varies with ethnic customs, beliefs, and ways of life. There is Uyghur cuisine mainly, but also Han, Kazakh, Russian, Tibetan, etc. The common cooking methods include stir frying, roasting, and steaming.
Where to Eat Xinjiang Cuisine
Roast Chicken
Halal food and Muslim (Xinjiang) restaurants can be found in cities and towns all over China. As Xinjiang is a poor region, many people have left their hometowns to open restaurants or food stands in other cities, which offer more economic possibilities.
Some of the most popular Xinjiang dishes include roasted mutton kebabs, roast chicken (大盘鸡 dàpánjī /daa-pan-jee/ 'big plate chicken'), 'grab rice' (抓饭 zhuāfàn /jwaa-fan/), 'hand-pulled noodles' (手拉面 shǒulāmiàn /shoh-laa-myen/), and naan bread (馕 náng /nung/).
Xinjiang Cuisine Menu
English
Chinese
Pronunciation
Characters
Garlic Mutton
dàsuàn yángròu
Daa-swann yang-roh
大蒜羊肉
Crispy Sheep Leg
xiāng sū yáng tuǐ
Sshyang soo yang tway
香酥羊腿
Roast Mutton Chops
kǎo yángpái
Kaoww yang-peye
烤羊排
Mutton and Pilau Rice
yángròu zhuāfàn
Yang-roh jwaa-fan
羊肉抓饭
Xinjiang Big Plate Chicken
Xīnjiāng dàpán jī
Sshyin-jyang daa pan jee
新疆大盘鸡
Borscht (Beetroot Soup)
luó sòng tāng
Lwor song tung
罗宋汤
Almond Crackers
xìngrén sū bǐng
Sshying-rnn soo bing
杏仁酥饼
Braised Masked Palm Civet
hóngshāo guǒzilí
Hong-shaoww gwor-dzrr-lee
红烧果子狸
Tibetan Cuisine - Flavors of Nepalese, Indian and Sichuan Cuisine
Tibet is a high-altitude, harsh-climate area, where it is hard to grow food, so vegetables and fruits are scarce. It has a distinct food culture. The Tibetan yak has traditionally been the animal of choice for nomadic pastoralists, as it is able to withstand the harsh winters. Yak farmers can live almost exclusively on Yak products, including Yak fat tea.
Traditional Tibetan cuisine emphasizes "calm" tastes, so many dishes do not have any spicy seasonings except salt, scallion, and garlic.
Tibetan Sweet Tea
However, influenced by its neighbors India, Nepal and Sichuan Province, Tibetan cuisine also use lots of pungent spices and seasonings, including curries with mustard seeds and chilies.
Ingredients
Tibetan cuisine mainly uses barley, wheat, meats like beef, mutton, pork, and chicken, wheat, dairy products, potatoes, and radishes. Tibetan people don't eat horse, dog, donkey, or even fish, due to their religion and customs.
Due to the high altitude and limited resources, people who live in this region need a diet higher in fat and calories to resist the cold weather. Therefore mainstay foods are meat (mutton, beef, or yak), dairy, barley, and wheat. Their mountain barley is made into tsampa (糌粑 zānbā /dzan baa/), which is very popular and eaten every day by Tibetans.
Some of the most traditional staple foods are yak butter tea, sweet tea, barley tea, or dried meat that is either barbequed or eaten raw.
The common cooking methods include roasting, frying, and stewing.
Tibet Cuisine Food Menu
English
Chinese
Pronunciation
Characters
Yak Meat Braised in Soy Sauce
hóngshāo máoniú ròu
Hong-shaoww maoww-nyoh roh
红烧牦牛肉
Tibet Fried Meat and Potato
Zàng tǔdòu shāo ròu
Dzung too-doh shaoww roh
藏土豆烧肉
Yadong Sautéed Sliced Pork with Black Fungus
yàdōng mù'ěr ròupiàn
Yaa-dong moo-er roh-pyen
亚东木耳肉片
Stewed Old Chicken and Matsutake Mushrooms
sōngróng dùn lǎo jī
Song-rong dwnn laoww jee
松茸炖老鸡
Tibetan Butter Tea
Zàngshì sūyóuchá
Dzung-shrr soo-yoh-chaa
藏式酥油茶
Ginseng Fruits Steamed Rice
rénshēn guǒ zhēng fàn
Rnn-shnn gwor jnng fan
人参果蒸饭
Fried Ginseng and Corn
rénshēn chǎo yùmǐ
Rnn-shnn chaoww yoo-mee
人参炒玉米
Where to Eat Tibetan Food
Tibetan dishes are served in Tibetan towns and cities in China around the Tibetan Plateau, as well as its neighboring countries Nepal and India. You can even find Tibetan restaurants in large cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu.
Now in larger Tibetan cities and towns, Lhasa for example, vegetables and fresh fish are available in markets. Tibetan cuisine is supplemented by other Chinese cuisine styles, mostly Sichuan Cuisine. However, many restaurants in small cities and towns still serve traditional Tibetan food.
Recommended Tibet Tour:
· 7-Days Tibet Tours by Train from Xining
· 5-Days Lhasa Classics and Lake Yamdrok Tour
· 4-Days Lhasa Highlights Comfort Tour
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