{"id":2160,"date":"2012-02-06T12:00:54","date_gmt":"2012-02-06T17:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=2160"},"modified":"2012-02-06T10:55:22","modified_gmt":"2012-02-06T15:55:22","slug":"everything-but-the-table-silk-road-cuisine-%e4%b8%9d%e8%b7%af%e9%a5%ad-xinjiang-and-gansu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/everything-but-the-table-silk-road-cuisine-%e4%b8%9d%e8%b7%af%e9%a5%ad-xinjiang-and-gansu\/","title":{"rendered":"Silk Road Cuisine (\u4e1d\u8def\u996d)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Now that we’ve covered traditional Chinese food, I thought I’d sit back and let my stomach do a little reflection on the tastes and textures of food along the Silk Road. Unlike traditional Han Chinese food, Silk Road Cuisine is blend of different cultures and spices from outside China. Because of Buddhist and Muslim influences that spread through Xinjiang (\u65b0\u7586) and Gansu (\u7518\u8083) province, this first batch of Silk Road food will focus less on traditional Han Chinese dishes, and instead on Pan-Asian cuisine including spices and flavors unknown to most westerners. So let’s get down to it, \u5403\u5427\uff01<\/p>\n

Lamb (\u7f8a\u8089\uff09<\/strong><\/p>\n

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What are you lookin at?<\/p><\/div>\n

So how do Muslim Chinese people deal with a country that’s fanatical for pork? BAAAAh. \u7f8a\u8089 (y\u00e1ng<\/a> r\u00f2u) or lamb is your answer. It is\u00a0the<\/em> meat staple of western China (other than delicious yaak which will be covered shortly) and seems present in every dish (sorry vegetarians). Why so much lamb? Well take a look around you. There isn’t much vegetation or grassland. All you see is craggy peaks, rugged landscapes and small shrub brush–a natural habitat for goats. Also consider this: a goat’s plant biomass (what they consume) to meat efficiency is much greater than that of cows, pigs or other large livestock. They can cover large areas of rough terrain, foraging off of the most basic of shrub plants and prarie grasses without much cost to the shepherd.<\/p>\n

Goats are ideal for this terrain and vegetation, plus they provide more than just meat–their lambs’ wool keeps the locals from freezing during the winters. So naturally, you’ll bump into a few goats as you traverse Xinjiang and Lake Karakul.<\/p>\n

Like I mentioned earlier, lamb is in almost everything (and definitely served at every meal). Most commonly you find lamb in \u62c9\u9762 (l\u0101<\/a> mi\u00e0n<\/a>) or pulled noodles, which are served in a steaming lamb broth and accompanied by thin slices of lamb shank, cilantro, peppers and a variety of spices. For a previous post on \u62c9\u9762, pulled noodles click here<\/a>. If you like it nice and spicy, you can add \u8fa3\u6912 (l\u00e0<\/a> ji\u0101o<\/a>) or hot pepper flakes\/sauce by the spoonful. Making \u62c9\u9762\uff0cpulled noodles:<\/p>\n