Saltanat Bora’s relationship with food is a powerful cultural connector. By eating the traditional dishes of her homeland, she’s stayed attached to a culture that’s been described as ‘invisible’ and remained in tune with a heritage she may never experience again first-hand.
“I am Uyghur,” Bora tells SBS. “We are a native people of our homeland but our history is very complicated.”
The are a Turkic ethnic group from Central and East Asia who mostly identify as Muslim. Bora’s parents hail from East Turkestan in northwest China. The region, termed East Turkestan by Uyghurs, is currently part of the People’s Republic of China and is run under the official name of the . “If you look on the map today, you’ll see that East Turkestan is right above Tibet.”
So much of my connection to my homeland was forged by my experience of eating traditional foods at home every single day.
Bora's parents escaped challenging political circumstances back in the 1980s when her mum was heavily pregnant. Bora was born soon after the couple arrived in Australia. Today, her family is unable to enter the region due to safety concerns.
“Growing up, it was very hard to explain to other kids where my family was from. I couldn't point to a map and say ‘There's East Turkestan’. There was no geography book with my country or flag in it.”
However, there was one saving grace that enabled Bora to experience the essence of what it meant to be Uyghur while living in Australia: traditional food.
“In the early 1990s, there are no Uyghur restaurants. So much of my connection to my homeland was forged by my experience of eating traditional foods at home every single day.”
Uyghur food from past Eid al-Fitr celebrations: a layered cake (katkat) and traditional tea made of milk, cream and salt called (atkan chay). Source: Supplied
The traditional beauty of Uyghur cuisine
Bora describes Uyghur food as a collection of land-based dishes that combine various Central Asian influences.
“It’s Turkic food from Central Asia but not Turkish food." Modern Turkish cuisine, she says, shares commonalities with Greek and European food. "Our cuisine is more nomadic. It is best described by the term 'Asian fusion'. There’s a lot of lamb and broth in our diets. We use broth to make simple soups that are nourishing and healing.”
A common dish is : boiled hand-pulled noodles made from wheat flour. Another national dish, adapted from Chinese and Russian cuisine is called chöchüre: a steamed dumpling filled with meat, herbs and onion (resembling Italy’s tortellini in appearance only) that’s typically served in a tomato-based broth.
At every single house you visit, you drink tea and have some kind of plate of food.
Traditional meals eaten during times of religious significance have also helped to unite Bora with other Muslims. She says religious connections have allowed her to feel a strong sense of community in Australia.
“Throughout the Muslim community, food is a common language. The food we eat represents a tie to our shared cultural heritage. Food doesn't just fill our bellies: it fills our souls.”
Celebrating Eid, Uyghur-style
Eid al-Fitr – a religious holiday that marks the end of dawn-to-sunset fasting for Ramadan – is one of the most important celebrations on the calendar for a Uyghur. “This Eid will be super special because we've made it through a month of fasting and will be, hopefully, better versions of ourselves by the time it arrives."
Each Eid, Uyghurs follow the same formula as other Muslims. Everyone goes to prayers in the morning and then, it officially becomes Eid. "After that, you visit people’s homes beginning with the eldest family member. At every single house you visit, you drink tea and have some kind of plate of food.”
One of the most popular Uyghur dishes that will be served at Eid is polo (the name is a Central Asian variant of the word ‘pilaf)’: fried lamb, onions and carrots, with steamed rice. “There are variations of it across the region but Uyghur people tend to make it very simple.”
There’ll also be lots of sweets and a layered cake filled with a cream called katkat. "We also have sangza – traditional hand-pulled noodle that is deep-fried in oil and twisted into a pyramid shape. To drink, we serve traditional tea called “atkan chay” which translates to ‘cooked tea’. It's basically a tea that's brewed with milk, cream and salt.”
Sangza – traditional hand-pulled noodle that is deep-fried in n oil and twisted into a pyramid shape. Source: Supplied
Throughout the Muslim community, food is a common language. The food we eat represents a tie to our shared cultural heritage. Food doesn't just fill our bellies: it fills our souls.
Traditionally, Eid al-Fitr is a festival to break the fast of Ramadan. Although the celebration centres around food and community, for Uyghur Muslims like Bora, it means so much more. This year, her Australian-based family will take the time to honour the cultural stories of her parents and reflect on what it means to be a proud Uyghur living abroad. Eid will also present Bora with an opportunity to pass Uyghur culture and Islamic traditions onto her children.
“Cultural memories are often connected to tangible, sensorial experiences," she says. "If I can't give my children an experience of the homeland because I can't go back to East Turkestan in the way that it is right now, then the next best thing is for them to experience Uyghur culture through Uyghur food.
Eid will also present Saltanat Bora with an opportunity to pass Uyghur culture and Islamic traditions onto her children.
“Our food is very dear to us. Our food has become a rallying point to say, ‘We exist and our culture is unique’. In our food is the presence of our struggle to be uniquely Uyghur. Our food says, ‘This is who we are’.”
