Hotan
Southern Silk Road — date polu, walnut halwa, pouch-shaped manta.
Hotan Date Polu
Lamb pilaf cooked with sweet Hotan dates instead of raisins
View page →Hotan sits on the southern Silk Road, where caravans crossing the Taklamakan desert once stopped to trade jade, silk, and walnuts. The cuisine reflects centuries of crossroads-culture, but in a quieter tone than Kashgar's bazaar bustle. Hotan polu swaps the more famous Turpan raisins for the city's own large red dates — sweeter, more caramel-forward. Hotan manta (steamed lamb dumplings) take a distinctive pouch shape with a small opening at the top — different from sealed buns elsewhere in Central Asia. The dumplings get a final brush of melted lamb fat at the table.
What gives the region its identity beyond dumplings is the walnut. Hotan walnuts — large, oily, sweet — are famous across China. They get pounded into halwa with sugar syrup and rosewater, pressed flat, and sold in the bazaars in colored slabs. Travelers used to buy slabs of the candy for desert crossings; today it's a souvenir. Sweet melon (xiang gua) appears for breakfast in summer. The table is gentler than the rest of Xinjiang — less smoke, more steam; less chili, more nut.
The Palate
Start Here
The dates caramelize during the dum steam — that perfume is the dish.
Why start here · Hotan polu shows the southern oasis's preference for sweet over savory in pilaf.
The pouch shape — open at the top — lets the steam in to baste the filling.
Why start here · Hotan manta is the dumpling that immediately identifies the southern Tarim style.
Use real Hotan walnuts — the sweetness and oil content distinguish them.
Why start here · Halwa is the desert-crossing candy that captures Hotan's character in one bite.
The Pantry
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Proteins
Fruits
Herbs & Spices
Grains & Staples
Sauces & Condiments
How They Cook
Techniques that define this cuisine
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Signature Dishes (3)
Other regions
Siblings within Uyghur — each its own tradition.