There is a catchphrase in Xinjiang: "Grapes from Turpan, melons from Hami, pears from Korla are praised by everyone, and pomegranates from Yecheng are top-notch." Xinjiang is known as the "hometown of melons and fruits". I have heard that Xinjiang melons and fruits are particularly sweet since I was a child. What I look forward to most after I come here is to taste all kinds of dried and fresh melons and fruits to my heart's content!
Hami, this is the first stop of Yalun's self-driving trip into Xinjiang. What are you waiting for? Where can I go to see all kinds of melons and fruits? Of course it's the market! Under the guidance of a local aunt, I came to a very down-to-earth worker's market in the urban area. The aunt said that people in the neighborhood usually come here to buy melons and fruits, and there are many types. It's great, I like to go shopping in the market, I seem to have found a treasure!
On the way of travel, visiting the local market is one of my pleasures, to feel the atmosphere of the market, and to see the most authentic way of life of the local people. When I came to the workers' market in the afternoon, my eyes were filled with all kinds of melons and fruits. Wow, this is the Xinjiang I was looking for! Unable to hold back the excitement in my heart, I quickly weighed a cantaloupe. There are two kinds of common green skin and yellow skin, both of which are 7 yuan per kilogram (in Xinjiang, it is all about kilograms). I chose a yellow one, which costs 14 yuan. The locals also call it "melon".
On this trip to Xinjiang, the most common types of fruit I saw were peaches and apricots, except honeydew melons. I often eat many kinds of peaches in my daily life, but I see relatively few kinds of apricots. In the Hami market alone, I saw many kinds of apricots. The big ones are like eggs, and the small ones are like lychees. Divided into red, white, yellow, etc., I was speechless because of the sweetness of a "red-faced" apricot. It is the sweetest apricot I have ever eaten. It costs 8 yuan a kilogram, and I bought it for 10 yuan.
I love this market so much! Although it looks unremarkable, it is just an ordinary market that locals visit almost every day, with vegetable areas, fruit areas, etc., but in the eyes of a traveler like me, this place with local specialties has many I think the element of novelty has an atmosphere that I want to feel.
Hami not only has fresh melons and fruits, but like many other places in Xinjiang, the market sells a variety of dried fruits, the most famous of which must be raisins! According to the stall owner, some of the raisins on the stall were produced in Hami, and some were shipped from Turpan. There are many kinds of raisins on each stall, such as seedless white, Xiangfei, Xiangfei grandma, black currant... It is basically impossible to see so many kinds of raisins in the market outside of Xinjiang!
Asked about the price, seedless white is 25 yuan per kilogram, and Xiangfei is 35 yuan per kilogram. These are the two most sold. The price of most types of raisins on the stall is 30 to 60 yuan per kilogram. I bought two kinds, and it cost a total of 30 yuan for two catties. The raisins are very clean, the skin is crispy, and the granules of Xiangfei are very large.
Xinjiang is located in the northwest region, which has a continental climate, with strong sunlight, little precipitation, and low cloud cover, so the sunlight is sufficient, the temperature difference between day and night is large, the consumption of nutrients in fruits and vegetables is low, and the accumulation of sugar is high, so the fruits and vegetables are sweeter. Of course, the summer in Hami is still very hot. If time permits, try to visit the market in the evening. Don’t worry that the market will close early, after all, the sunset time is also very late.
In the worker's market in Hami, I made another discovery! That is, there is a great shop selling naan at the entrance of the market! The first time I ate naan was the traditional naan brought by my classmates in Xinjiang when I was in college. I liked its texture very much at that time. This time I had the opportunity to see the live-made naan, how could I miss it?
Naan cakes have a long history in Xinjiang, and were called "hu cakes" and "oven cakes" in ancient times. Such a super big round naan, 5 yuan a piece, is really a bargain! Excited, I bought two traditional naans, which can be thick or thin. I prefer the thinner ones, which are easier to break apart. The freshly baked naan smells too delicious, if not on the street, I can really eat it on the spot! This trip to the worker's market cost a total of 64 yuan, which can be said to be very fruitful, and I will come again! After shopping, it’s time for dinner, let’s go to eat pilaf (next article sharing), and look forward to more exciting travels in Xinjiang with Yalun!
