SPICY CUMIN LAMB SKEWERS

Tender pieces of lamb seasoned with cumin, chili and aromatic spices, skewered and cooked over intense heat until smoky and deeply caramelized. Savory, earthy and spicy with the unmistakable fragrance of toasted cumin.

A Flavor Born Along the Silk Road

Cumin lamb is closely associated with the cooking traditions of Xinjiang in northwestern China, a region where Chinese, Central Asian and Middle Eastern cultures have crossed paths for centuries.

Lamb has long been an important part of the region's food culture, particularly among Uyghur communities, whose cuisine reflects Xinjiang's historic position along the ancient Silk Road. Unlike many dishes associated with southern or coastal Chinese cooking, Xinjiang cuisine is known for its generous use of lamb, cumin, chilies, onions and fire.

One of its most recognizable street foods is yang rou chuan (羊肉串)—pieces of lamb threaded onto skewers and traditionally grilled over charcoal.

CUMIN, CHILI & FIRE

As the skewers cook, the lamb's fat renders over the heat while cumin and chili toast against the surface of the meat. The combination creates the smoky, intensely aromatic flavor that made lamb skewers a fixture of night markets, street stalls and barbecue restaurants throughout Xinjiang.

The dish eventually traveled far beyond northwestern China. Today, cumin lamb and lamb skewers can be found throughout the country and around the world, becoming one of the most recognizable examples of Xinjiang-style Chinese cooking.

Our Spicy Cumin Lamb Skewers celebrate that tradition with juicy pieces of lamb, bold cumin, chili and aromatic spices cooked until beautifully charred—smoky, savory, spicy and built around the flavor of fire.