XINJIANG LAMB SKEWERS or 新(Xīn)疆(Jiāng)羊(Yáng)肉(Ròu)串(Chuàn) **

MAIN INGREDIENTS: lamb, beef, chicken, potato, lotus root, dry soybean tofu, mushroom, Chinese leek, white sesame, chili flakes, cumin seeds.

HISTORY: Xinjiang lamb skewers are similar to kebabs, but served with smaller pieces of meat and heavily seasoned with cumin. Xinjiang is a district of Ürümqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The lamb skewers are named after the district renowned for making the most spectacular skewers. The origins of this dish can be traced back 1800 years to the Han Dynasty. Archaeologists would later discover murals in region between Najing and Beijing, where they found fascinating depictions of people cooking what appeared to be meat on skewers. Today, charcoal-grilled skewers are a very popular dish, prepared with all kinds of different meat and vegetables. Eating skewers (or 撸(Lū)串(chuàn)) with cold beer late at night at a street market in the summer is a common social activity for modern day Chinese.