Turpan Whole Roast Lamb

Whole roast lamb, "tonur kawap" in Uyghur meaning tandoor-roasted meat, is a dressed whole lamb marinated and slow-roasted over charcoal in the tandoor, its skin golden-brown and crisp and the inside tender and juicy, the most honoured guest dish at Uyghur banquets and great festivals.

The craft of tandoor-roasted meat shares its roots with naan baking, relying on the stored heat and sealed roasting of the tandoor, born where oasis farming met herding tradition; in Uyghur Turpan it has been handed down for generations as the crowning dish of weddings and Nawriz celebrations.

The roasted lamb is carried to a long table and carved by the host, the first pieces offered to elders and honoured guests; everyone tears and eats together, dipping the meat in cumin-salt or onion sauce, with naan and polo alongside, in a warm and ceremonious mood.

The golden crisp skin from the tandoor's sealed heat, the ceremony of a whole lamb brought to table, and the bold fragrance of cumin meeting lamb are the unmistakable marks of the whole roast.