Xinjiang Food

Although not a local food, Xinjiang food (western province of China), has found quite a niche in Xuzhou and many other provinces around China. The food is very basic, and very very spicy. The main ingredient for almost every dish is lamb, and boy do they cook it well. For our unexpected lunch, we had two types of lamb stew, one rib and one shank, lamb tongue, lamb stomach and bits of lamb cooked with sliced half-fried potatoes. All of which was accompanied with lots of western spices, which is a duller, and a subtler burn than the nuclear Sichuan spice of lore. However, unlike most Chinese restaurants, the carbohydrate backbone of the meal was not rice, but was instead flattened, almost tortilla-like pancakes. Think burritos, but potatoes in place of rice, soy beans instead of black beans, and lamb instead of ground beef. Wrap it all up and use your imagination, you almost feel like you're back in the Southwest. Oh and I forgt to mention, everyone eats outside without their shirts, drinking beer. Sun's out guns out!