Tag Archives: Xinjiang

Replicating a Uyghur tonur baking experience in an American oven

Posted on March 16, 2023 by David Dettmann

As you may know, over the past many years I have been experimenting with baking techniques that replicate the traditional Uyghur tonur oven. Those experiments tended to include the use of a broiler, and/or a super hot and dense cooking … Continue reading →

Posted in - Featured Food Discoveries, - Unique food traditions, Central Asia/Uyghur food | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Savory Uyghur flatbread at the base of a stew

Posted on March 27, 2018 by David Dettmann

Travelers to Uyghur cultural zones of Xinjiang will be familiar with the Uyghur staple flatbread (aka nan) and its many uses at the table. It is served alongside tea, dried fruits and nuts for breakfast and afternoon tea. At kawap … Continue reading →

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Turpan raisins in Chinatown

Posted on May 17, 2015 by David Dettmann

We have yet another import from the Uyghur homeland of Xinjiang available here in Philadelphia. These are raisins from Turpan, a city particularly well known for its sweet fruit (including grapes and melons). I found these at the newly reborn … Continue reading →

Posted in - Featured Food Discoveries, - Featured Markets, Central Asia/Uyghur food, Chinese food | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Uyghur style rice pilaf with beef and yellow carrots

Posted on October 5, 2014 by David Dettmann

Happy Eid!  Over the weekend friends will be feasting around the world, and in Xinjiang no doubt people will be eating the dish I’ll describe below.  Half a world away in Philadelphia, the weather is changing from hot to quite … Continue reading →

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Xinjiang(?) Hami melons in Chinatown

Posted on August 31, 2014 by David Dettmann

With the bulk of my food experiences in China being more than ten years ago already, and with the continually changing norms of food import/export and larger Chinese consumer markets in the US, I constantly come across things that were … Continue reading →

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Uyghur flatbreads, meat pies, and the tonur oven

Posted on July 20, 2014 by David Dettmann

I love looking at recipes and cookbooks–especially the kind that explain the unusual elements you are trying to replicate.  There are some gems out there for US cookbooks nowadays, with authors that do go through great lengths to explain culture … Continue reading →

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“Big plate chicken” spice pack from Urumchi

Posted on July 16, 2014 by David Dettmann

I’m not big on non-perishables that are loaded with chemicals and preservatives.  I really appreciate fresh ingredients and the time taken to produce a beautiful stew.  That said, I couldn’t resist this very unusual find today at a local market … Continue reading →

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Yellow figs from Xinjiang and Turkey

Posted on July 13, 2014 by David Dettmann

I was surprised to come across yellow figs at a local market several weeks ago.  I was used to having a double-take every time I saw dried Chinese chestnuts (they look quite similar), but alas we really do now have … Continue reading →

Posted in - Featured Food Discoveries, Central Asia/Uyghur food, Turkish food | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments