Hotan in southern Xinjiang, has a dry climate and is light for up to 15 hours a day. The temperature difference between day and night can extend to more than 10° C. The local dates are known for their large size, smooth juicy flesh, good color, and small stone . Read more »

 The Xinjiang Fig or sankoh, has been called many things. The local Uygur people call them “Angels” for their sweet taste and nutritional value and history books have refered to them as “culinary couriers”. Xinjiang Figs originated in West Asia, and were introduced to China before the Tang Dynasty, after which they spread in cultivation and popularity.  Figs contain high fructose, acid, protein, and vitamins. Read more »

Raisins are a mainstay of local food in Xinjiang, and have been for centuries. Whether baked into cakes and bread, eaten by the handful as a healthy snack, or as the main ingredient in a raisin-sauce, rasins are enjoyed by nearly everyone in the region. The local climate lends itself readily to their cultivation, as mature grapes must loose 85-75% of their water content before becoming rasins. However this must be done in a drying-house or in the shade of the vine; grapes dried in sunlight quickly become sour. Read more »

Almonds are one of them most cherished foods of the local Uygur people. Most almonds are produced in the Tianshan Mountains and the surrounding counties of Yengisar, Shache, Yecheng and Nan Kashi. When early autumn comes the orchards grown thick with greenish-yellow flowers of the almond trees and soon many people will flock to the orchards to collect the nuts. Read more »

According to traditional Chinese herbal medicine books and official records the walnut originated in Qianghu and introduced during the Song Dynasty. Walnuts are among the earliest cultivated fruits in the region, earning Hotan the nickname of “Walnut Township” in centuries past. Read more »