Uyghur Kewap

Cultural and food appropriation is real and powerful; it can erase a dish’s identity and name, even while spreading its reach, recognition, and regard.

The ubiquity and popularity of this BBQ lamb skewers recipe, known to millions by its Mandarin name, yangrou chuanr, and typically sold street-side in China by swarthy Uyghur men fanning glowing charcoal embers and cooking multiple skewers at a time, suggest that, like many foods once belonging to a minority group, these kebabs have become entrenched in the modern food culture of China’s Han majority.

Sadly, their Turkic Uyghur name – kewap – is known to few save the Uyghurs themselves…and now you, of course. Happily, like me and millions of others who know these kebabs as chuanr, you’re going to love them!

Get some meat with fat on it, with good marbling. Use lamb or mutton (my preference). Ensure the meat has enough fat so that you can alternate the fat chunks with the meat chunks when you skewer your…skewers.

Play around with the spices. If you don’t like chilli, use less. If you don’t like the numbing nature of Sichuan peppercorn, leave it out. But if you don’t like cumin, you’re out of luck, as the only suggestion I’d give for cumin is that there’s never going to be too much in your marinade or on your kewap, so be generous.

You can find my recipe for Uyghur Lamb Kewap over at Swaledale Butchers’ Journal.