Urumqi Qūqū

Urumqi Qūqū

　　　Qūqū is a traditional and beloved snack among the Uyghur people. Similar to what the Han Chinese call wontons, it has unique characteristics in both preparation and ingredients. First, high-quality wheat flour is used to make dough, which is then rolled into thin sheets and cut into four-square-centimeter squares. Next, fatty lamb is minced into a paste, which is mixed with minced onion, salt, pepper, cumin powder, and a small amount of meat broth to form the filling. Small cubes of sheep tail fat (called saozi) are cut. The dough squares are used to wrap the filling one by one, initially forming them into a dumpling shape, then bending and pinching the two ends from the bottom to seal them. When the meat broth comes to a boil, the wrapped qūqū are added. Once cooked, the chopped pieces of sheep tail fat are added to the boiling broth, along with some cilantro, and then it’s ready to be ladled into bowls. Qūqū features thin wrappers and tender filling, served in the original rich lamb broth with a clear and delicious taste, offering a distinctive flavor. It can be found all over urban and rural areas of Xinjiang.