Naan (Uyghur Flatbread)

Naan is the most representative Uyghur flatbread: fermented dough rolled into rounds, stamped with a decorative pattern in the centre, scattered with sesame or onion, and slapped against the glowing wall of a clay tonur oven. Fresh from the oven the crust is golden and crisp while the inside stays soft and layered, and there are dozens of varieties—meat naan, sesame naan, onion naan and the thick "nest" naan among them.

The bread-baking tradition reached the Western Regions along the Silk Road over a thousand years ago and became a shared staple of the Uyghurs and other Central Asian peoples. As a Silk Road hub, Kashgar has naan bakeries on nearly every lane of the old city, their aroma woven into the daily and festive life of the town.

Naan is eaten as a staple at every meal, broken hot and stuffed with kebab, dipped in tea broth or served alongside a cup of lamb stew; it also travels well as dry rations. Among Uyghurs a whole naan is brought to the table for guests and shared by tearing, a gesture of hospitality.

The clay-oven wall-baking, the stamped central pattern and the keeping quality that lets it stay good for days are what set naan apart from other flatbreads.