Xinjiang’s other famous dish is whole roasted lamb. It is what it is. The lamb is covered with a mixture of egg, green onion, pepper and other spices including cumin and roasted for an hour.

When it’s done, a red silk ribbon is tied around its head and celery (or something green and leafy) is stuffed in its mouth. The whole lamb is put on a trolley and paraded out to your table. A chef then carves it right there.

Did I mention a lot of lamb is eaten in the province of Xinjiang? All those plates on our table below is lamb in some form or another.