Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Wang Jingjing) news: Just after 12 o 'clock on December 1, 2023, Qian Cheng, owner of a homestay in Damiao Village, Urumqi County, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, warmed tea for the guests and prepared fire to cook tea on the stove. "In winter, it ‘s pretty sunny in Nanshan Mountain of Urumqi County. Guests who have climbed the mountain in the morning would like to come to our yard and experience outdoor tea-cooking sitting around the stove," she said.

Since last winter, cooking tea sitting around the stove has been popular in Xinjiang. Sitting by the stove with friends, a pot of warm black tea by the side, persimmons and oranges on the cooking grid, as well as some pastries and sweet potatoes..."This is my second time coming to Nanshan Mountain to cook tea around the stove. After drinking and eating up , I feel warm all over my body. People who like to take photos can post pictures on their social media.how pleasant," Chen Xiang, a visitor from Urumqi, said. She took her parents to Nanshan Mountain for a walk and asked for a service to enable them sit around the stove and cook tea, hoping to let her parents experience this popular activity in winter.

Photo shows rows of air dried beef, horse meat sausage, and other products are neatly hung on racks at the entrance of merchants in Shiliu Lane of Emin County, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Dawulie Damu)

Last year, Qian Cheng added outdoor tea cooking service in his homestay services. Unlike other places, in this service, they added Xinjiang's unique dried fruits and pastries in the menu. "This year, the popular activity in our guesthouse is “cooking milk tea around the stove”. We provide milk and rose petals, allowing people to make milk tea by themselves," she said.

"The winter in Xinjiang is very cold, so people are more likely to feel happiness by eating food in cold winter. As soon as it cools down, the sale of our air dried meat increases," said Bai Yunbao, the person in charge of Dongwozi Air Dried Meat Cultural and Creative Park in Emin County, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

During the "Double 11" online shopping festival period, the Dongwozi Air Dried Meat Cultural and Creative Park held an e-commerce shopping festival, showing the production process of Tacheng air dried meat via livestreaming in the air dried meat exhibition hall. Tourists who came to the cultural and creative park also tasted freshly cooked air dried meat products for free. "After eating air dried meat for many years, I felt reassured to see how fresh meat turned into air dried meat for the first time. So I bought a few kilograms of it," said Fang Xiuhua, a resident of Tacheng City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Photo shows Dongwozi Air Meat Cultural and Creative Park in Emin County, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Bai Yunbao)

In winter, Xinjiang's series of products such as air dried meat and smoked horse meat sausage, have entered a peak sales period. Walking into the street of Shiliu Lane in Emin County, rows of air dried beef, horse meat sausage, and other products are neatly hung on racks at the entrance of merchants. Customers are in an endless stream.

"The peak period of air dried meat sales this year is earlier than in previous years, and from August to now, the monthly sales volume has been increasing," Ma Hongbo, an individual business owner said that many internet celebrities and bloggers have contacted them to negotiate online sales business.

When you come to Xinjiang for winter, mutton is a delicacy that must not be missed. When the temperature reaches minus ten degrees Celsius, eating lamb chops stewed with radish in an enamel jar is a good choice. There is no complicated seasoning and cooking process, to make this delicacy one just needs to put the mutton and radish in an enamel jar and heat them on the stove. Before eating, all you need is to put a little salt and pepper. Lamb chops stewed with radish in an enamel with naan is the perfect lunch for winter in Xinjiang.

Photo shows “Xingpi” soup with dough slices in Barkol Kazak Autonomous County, Hami City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (photo provided by Barkol Lingjuli official account)

The cooking method of mutton is different in northern and southern Xinjiang, but there is a delicacy that can only be found in Barkol Kazak Autonomous County—Xingpi soup with dough slices. It is made of dumpling-shaped and cat's ear-shaped dough.

Every winter solstice, every family in Barkol Kazak Autonomous County will make “Xingpi” soup with dough slices. When the delicious “Xingpi” soup with dough slices is ready, they will give it to their relatives and neighbors. Nowadays, if you travel to Barkol Kazak Autonomous County in winter, you can go to the farmhouse to taste this unique cuisine.

There is always a Xinjiang flavor that can make you feel warm in cold winter.

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