Uyghur Cuisine and Identity: An Historical Overview of a Discreet Diaspora

This work reviews aspects of the disappearing Uyghur foodways since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 due to migrations, modernization, and now, cultural genocide. Turkic interconnections of culture, trade, and resettlement through the centuries mesh tightly with the Symposium theme of food and movement. The article holds no pretense to exhaustively catalog Uyghur foods or dishes as they can vary greatly within China and even more so throughout the Uyghur communities abroad. The author spent countless time cooking in kitchens and courtyards along the Silk Road in Central Asia and much of the information in the article is based on personal participation and observation. The purpose of this article is to review the historical reasons why the Uyghur diaspora is unusually subdued in their cultural gatherings abroad. It also proposes a global platform for digitally sharing Uyghur foodways and cooking. Fearing for the safety of relatives in Xinjiang or for personal reprisals against them by the government of China, many Uyghurs are resigned to silent support for cultural projects and focus on keeping traditions alive privately only in their homes and within tight communities.