Grilled to perfection(3)

A Uygur child cannot wait to have the pilaf for lunch. [Photo by Han Liang/For China Daily]

"Some tourists once asked me why I don't put as much cumin and chili on the kebabs as what people do in Beijing. I told them it's because they are not confident about the freshness of their meat so they have to cover that up with spices," he said. "Xinjiang people are experts in tasting kawap. Your business won't survive if your meat is not fresh."

Aniwar Hasmu, deputy director and researcher at the Xinjiang cultural relics and archaeology research institute, has been studying food culture in the region. He said Xinjiang people have been enjoying kawap for a very long time.

In 1985, archaeologists discovered two pieces of grilled lamb ribs on a red willow stick in a tomb in Qiemo county in Southern Xinjiang's Bayingolin Mongol autonomous prefecture. He said the kawap dated back more than 2,700 years.

The archaeologists also found a small fan made of fur and wood in a tomb in Lop county in Southern Xinjiang's Hotan prefecture in 1984. Aniwar said it could just be the tool used to grill kawaps.

"People still use similar fans to help the charcoal burn," he said.

Red willow is a common plant in the desert areas of Xinjiang and people still use them to make kawap, just like how their ancestors did 2,700 years ago. In Erdaoqiao, bundles of red willow sticks are popular items in small shops specializing in accessories for grilling kawap.

"The flavor of the red willow will be gradually released into the meat, giving the kawap a special flavor. It's the most authentic and delicious kawap," Yasinjan said.