Dapanji is a popular dish in Xinjiang

Xinjiang

Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...

, China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

.

Etymology and preparation

The main ingredients usually include chicken

Chicken

The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...

, onions, garlic

Garlic

Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...

, green peppers, chili peppers, potatoes, ground cumin

Cumin

Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to India. Its seeds are used in the cuisines of many different cultures, in both whole and ground form.-Etymology:...

, ground Sichuan pepper

Sichuan Pepper

Sichuan pepper is the outer pod of the tiny fruit of a number of species in the genus Zanthoxylum , widely grown and consumed in Asia as a spice. Despite the name, it is not related to black pepper or to chili peppers...

s, cooking oil

Cooking oil

Cooking oil is purified fat of plant origin, which is usually liquid at room temperature ....

, soy sauce

Soy sauce

Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...

, and beer

Beer

Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...

.

The chicken is cut into bite size pieces (usually with bone in), sauteed with spices and coarsely chopped vegetables, and slow cooked in beer, providing a savory and spicy casserole-like dish. It is usually served with latiaozi (hand stretched noodles) or lamian

Lamian

Lamian is a type of hand-made or hand-pulled Chinese noodle. It is also the name of the dishes that use these noodles.-Etymology and preparation:...

(lahman, lamen, ramen), and shared by family and friends in a communal manner.

Other versions propose it served over naan (馕包大盘鸡／肉）, a staple-food bread widely consumed in Xinjiang, usually served roasted in Xinjiang restaurants and chuaer places. With the sauce, the bread becomes very soft and moist, taking a melt-in-the-mouth savoury texture.

History

Legend has it that this dish was invented by the restaurateurs along the highways, as a quick fix for the often untimely arrivals of the hungry truck drivers. However, its rich flavor and heartiness quickly became a favorite of the region, and even the nation.