During my stay in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, I really enjoyed the variety of fresh and delicious foods. Xinjiang is a region renowned for its culinary delights, and there are so many amazing food streets in this region.

In the three cities I visited in Xinjiang, including Kashi, Aksu, and Urumqi, I tried different kinds of food in the local food streets and hotels, and all of them were really delicious and of high quality.

When it comes to street foods in Xinjiang, there are several must-try dishes, and the first on the list is the famous “naan”. There is no other food that better encapsulates the culture and cuisine of the ethnic groups in Xinjiang than naan, a baked flatbread characterized by its light and slightly fluffy texture and golden-brown spots from the baking process.

Mahnaz Abdi takes a photo holding a piece of naan in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

There is plenty of unique food in Xinjiang worth trying, but this local bread is different. Naan is a daily necessity for locals in Xinjiang, and shops making and selling naan can be found everywhere.

The naan stand itself is quite simple. It usually consists of a small room to mix the dough next to a large naan stove, called “tonur” in Uygur language.

Naan has a long history in Xinjiang, and it is the staple food of the ethnic minorities in this region.

There are different types of naan in Xinjiang; while all of them are delicious, some also have interesting shapes and flavors.

There is a naan display store in the grand bazaar of Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, that showcases more than 100 types of naan from all over the region. Here, you can also immerse yourself in the culture surrounding naan.

A naan display store at the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

I also tried some home-made naan in some rural houses in the region. One type of them that had an interesting big circle shape, could be found almost in every house of a village we visited in Aksu prefecture.

A dozen years ago, almost every family had a naan stove. These days, naan has become an export item and increased incomes for locals in the region.

Mahnaz Abdi is an editor at Tehran Times, a leading Iranian newspaper.

Planner : Jie Wenjin

Reviewers : Hou Weili and Cheng Li

Editors: Gvlzar Mijit and Fan Feifei