Meatball Soup: Beef meatball soup is a unique and delicious snack among the Hui Muslim cuisine in Xinjiang. The meatballs are made from tender beef, fried, and then simmered in a rich bone broth along with ingredients such as potato cubes, glass noodles, tofu, mushrooms, and spinach. Served with fragrant and soft Hui-style oil pancakes (油塔子) and side pickles, it is a beloved dish among locals...
Spicy Beef Wheat Noodles with Raw Chilies: The noodles are made by mixing flour with spinach juice, giving them a natural yellow-green hue. They are served with a specially prepared side of Xinjiang-style beef and green chilies. Once tossed together, the dish presents as loose, bright red, aromatic, with a balanced mix of spicy and numbing flavors, and a smooth, refreshing mouthfeel—perfectly suited to the taste preferences of people from Xinjiang.…
Braised Lamb Rice Pilaf: Made with premium tender lamb braised to perfection, the rice pilaf is cooked in purified water and mixed with carrots, onions, and other ingredients using traditional methods. It contains no additives, offering a delicate, smooth texture that melts in your mouth. Paired with our signature rose black tea and side dishes, it’s nutritious yet not greasy. …
Lamb skewers grilled on rose willow branches: Large chunks of lamb are specially marinated and skewered on handcrafted rose willow sticks, then grilled using a unique roasting method from Xinjiang. A pure, natural aroma wafts through the air. One bite and you'll find the meat tender, juicy, and delicious. The mix of lean meat and lamb fat, when chewed vigorously, delivers a rich, savory taste that instantly brings immense satisfaction...
Karamay also has liangpi (cold rice noodles), and while the noodle-making process is similar, the broth and toppings are completely different — not to mention the taste, which is wholly in the unique Karamay style. The liangpi I had before was dry-tossed, but in Karamay, it’s served in a broth. The way they make the broth is quite elaborate. Over ten different spices are cleaned...
Because this tasty snack is quick, economical, and delicious—just a few coins can get you a satisfying meal—it is very popular. Another reason is that it's available year-round, unaffected by seasons. Even in the dead of winter during the coldest days, the cold noodles business remains booming. Cold noodles are...
China currently leads the world in colored cotton research. Among the 12 globally registered colored cotton varieties, China owns eight and has developed three new strains—blue, red, and black colored cotton.
Baiyang Laojiao is the flagship product of Shihezi Bayi Winery. It is not only beloved by the people of Shihezi but also an essential item at celebratory family banquets for all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. In 1993, Baiyang Laojiao’s Chunshuang Wine and Jingou Wine won three gold medals in a row at an international commodities expo, thanks to their outstanding quality, instantly making them one of Xinjiang’s…
Cherry tomatoes, also known as pearl tomatoes or cherry-size tomatoes, can be eaten as both a vegetable and a fruit. They can also be made into preserves. The fruits are about 1–3 cm in diameter, bright red and crystal clear (with new varieties available in medium yellow, orange-yellow, and jade green, among other colors). They have a sweet and mild flavor, no seeds, a pleasant texture, high nutritional value, and a unique taste — perfect for both eating and ornamental purposes…
The renowned flat peach orchard in northern Xinjiang offers peaches with a unique flavor, characterized by their bright color, balanced sweet-and-sour taste, tender yet soft flesh, crispy juiciness, and suitability for all ages…
Few people have heard of Paotai in the 121st Regiment of Shihezi, Xinjiang, but the Paotai Red Melon from this area is widely renowned and beloved by people of all ethnicities. The Paotai Red Melon is oval in shape, beautifully proportioned, and just the right size, weighing between 3 to 6 kilograms per melon. Its green rind is covered with a layer of white netting, thread-like and intricate...
In the local area, these cold noodles are called "yellow noodles" due to their golden, oily hue. They are available all year round and are considered an affordable fast food option. Especially in summer, these yellow noodles sell the best. Typically, they are paired with grilled meat, hence the name "yellow noodles with grilled meat." The combination of meat and vegetables, along with the fine and chewy noodles…
Apocynum pictum Apocynum pictum, also known as oleander-like Apocynum, wild hemp, or tea flower, belongs to the Apocynaceae family and is a perennial wild plant. In Xinjiang, Apocynum pictum grows around the Lop Nur area, where its flowers display contrasting red and white hues, its leaves spread in lush green, and its roots grow deep and branches flourish. It serves as an important raw material for textiles and papermaking. Since ancient times, people in China have had the habit of brewing its leaves as tea to...
The 143rd Regiment of Shihezi produces Pan Tao peaches in the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, specifically in the 143rd Regiment of the 8th Division. This regiment comprises 19 agricultural companies, including Companies 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18…
Lean-type white pigs in Xinjiang have all-white coats, a medium body size, and a sturdy build. Sows average 12 piglets per litter, reach a live weight of 95 kilograms at 185 days old, have a slaughter rate of 72%, and a lean meat ratio of 58–59%. The main production areas include Shihezi City, Changji Prefecture, and Urumqi City. There are 4,330 breeding pigs in stock across the entire region.…
The Sixth Regiment of the First Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps is located within Wensu County, Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang, approximately 30 kilometers south of Aksu City. It is the first regiment encountered when entering the First Division. Before the development of its irrigation area, the Sixth Regiment was an uninhabited saline-alkali wasteland, hence the name "Wasteland." The apple-growing region of the Sixth Regiment lies in an arid desert zone, influenced by solar radiation, atmospheric circulation, and topography…
Cistanche deserticola from Shihezi is a specialty of Shihezi in Xinjiang. The Shihezi City of the Eighth Agricultural Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps is located on the southern edge of the Gurbantünggüt Desert in the Junggar Basin. Of the 18 farming and pastoral divisions under its jurisdiction, 11 are situated on the edge of the desert, including the 136th, 149th, and 150th Divisions, which lie deep within the desert. These divisions are surrounded by rolling sand dunes and serve as the original habitat of wild Cistanche (Cistanche deserticola). For a long time, the commercial supply of Cistanche came from wild resources. To prevent resource depletion due to overharvesting, artificial cultivation of Cistanche in the desert began in the 1990s, achieving certain results. Due to the region’s arid climate with scarce rainfall, harsh winters, hot summers, and large diurnal and seasonal temperature variations, along with abundant sunlight and heat, and significant day-night temperature differences, the conditions meet the minimum temperature and accumulated heat required for Cistanche growth. The sand dunes, mostly semi-fixed compound sand ridges and pyramid-shaped mega-dunes, have suitable levels of salinization, providing an ideal environment for Cistanche growth, which aids in the accumulation of nutrients. As a result, the produced Cistanche is soft in texture, with few fibrous parts, and is of premium quality, rich in essential amino acids for the human body, as well as trace elements such as calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, and potassium. The development of desert Cistanche not only has broad medicinal and economic value, but also offers significant ecological and environmental benefits. It helps prevent wind erosion and stabilize sand dunes, increases surface vegetation, and while achieving optimal economic returns, contributes to desert greening and ecological improvement, truly realizing a sustainable development cycle. It can be called a “desert industry,” achieving multiple wins and truly attaining a “triple win” of desert ecological, economic, and social benefits.
Shihezi City is the headquarters of the Eighth Agricultural Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, located in the northern part of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Shihezi Reclamation Area lies in the middle section of the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains, on the southern edge of the Gurbantünggüt Desert. Its climate is a typical continental arid climate—dry with low rainfall, large diurnal temperature variations, and abundant sunshine—making it...
The first flavor is buckwheat noodle pudding, a popular noodle dish made from buckwheat flour. During the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era, Ningxia once presented this dish as a tribute to the emperor. To make it, mix an appropriate amount of buckwheat flour with salted water in a certain proportion until it becomes soft and thin, then knead it into small, smooth, and fine dough balls. Next, use a specially made noodle press already set up on the edge of the pot…
Ermao Fur is the "White Treasure" among Ningxia's Five Treasures, with a long history. According to records, in the 32nd year of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s reign, the areas along the Yellow River in Ningxia were opened up for farming. With the construction of the Qin Canal and Han Yan Canal, Ningxia — once a region close to the desert — became fertile with abundant grain and teeming with cattle and sheep. The *Ningxia Agricultural Geography* referred to the area as “Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall” during the Tang Dynasty. A thousand years ago, Ningxia...