Steppe Lamb Skewers

Manzhouli's great lamb skewers use local Hulunbuir grassland mutton, cut into generous chunks, threaded onto long iron skewers, marinated with Russian spices and grilled over charcoal until charred outside and juicy within, the chunks plump, glistening and lifted by cumin.

Standing where China, Russia and Mongolia meet, Manzhouli's skewers fuse local grassland lamb with Russian marinades and Central Asian cumin, earning the name "three-country flavour" and embodying the city's cross-border food culture.

Slid steaming off the skewer and washed down with cold beer or kvass, the skewers are a fixture of night markets and Russian restaurants alike, the liveliest late-night bite in Manzhouli.

The tenderness of Hulunbuir lamb, the depth of Russian-style marinade and the swagger of oversized chunks make up the distinctive "three-country flavour" of Manzhouli skewers.