The Urumqi Grand Bazaar, the largest marketplace in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, has become a one-stop destination for sampling the region's best cuisine, drawing large crowds during the recent holiday with its mix of traditional flavors and bold innovations.
During the three-day Qingming Festival holiday, the bustling bazaar in downtown Urumqi became a top destination for both locals and tourists embarking on a culinary journey, attracting nearly 90,000 visitors daily, a 15 percent surge compared to last year.
As dusk slowly settled over the city each night during the holiday, eager diners flocked to the Grand Bazaar's food street for a hearty meal as the aroma of a dazzling array of local delicacies filled the air.
Barbecue often takes center stage in Xinjiang's culinary culture, and the bazaar elevates this tradition to new heights. Beyond the usual lamb skewers and naan bread, vendors roast everything from ostrich eggs to juicy watermelon pieces.
These vendors skillfully roast ostrich, goose, duck, chicken, and pigeon eggs over charcoal flames. Each egg is carefully turned to ensure even cooking, with creative twists such as adding honey or saffron to the yolk.
Innovations extend beyond that. Even staple dishes like baked buns have been reinvented. In addition to the traditional square-shaped lamb-stuffed buns, visitors can now find a new version, the "lamb rib bun," which encases an entire rib inside the dough for maximum meaty satisfaction.
In Xinjiang, a whole roasted lamb is a must when welcoming distinguished guests. At the bazaar's rear courtyard, a large clay oven nearly two meters high and wide can roast up to 10 lambs at a time. The meat is marinated, hung, and slowly roasted for several hours. During holidays, some vendors sell over a dozen whole lambs a day.
There are also Uyghur-style wontons known as "ququ'er", barely larger than a thumbnail. These small dumplings are filled with seasonal wild vegetables, aligning with the springtime tradition of eating foods that reflect nature's renewal.
After sampling the fare, visitors can indulge in one of the bazaar's trendiest drinks -- sand-brewed coffee. Baristas swirl copper pots of coffee concentrate through burning sand until the brew bubbles to perfection. The coffee is served in edible "naan cups," topped with rose petals for an aromatic touch.
The vendors are so confident in the quality of their offerings that the bazaar offers a full refund for unsatisfied customers.
Xinjiang's grand bazaar draws foodies in droves with authentic Uyghur flavors
