Roasted camel in Urad Rear Banner

(chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2017-01-19

Roasting a lamb or pig is common enough, but roasted camel is an unknown dish throughout much of the world –– but not in Urad Rear Banner.

Urad Rear Banner, Bayannur League promoted this palatable dish as part of celebrations for the Camel-themed Naadam Festival recently.

"A camel weighing 300 kilograms needs to be wrapped up with tin foil and pickled, then left for five days before being grilled in a furnace," said Guo Lifu, the head chef responsible for cooking the camel.

The camel is wrapped in foil and supported by scaffolding. The camel’s head is firstly covered with yellow oil paper coated with spices, before the rest of the body is also coated. [Photo/nm.people.com.cn]

The camel awaits cooking by a team of chefs. [Photo/nm.people.com.cn]

The camel is pushed into the furnace for cooking. [Photo/nm.people.com.cn]

A traditional ceremony takes place before the camel is cooked. [Photo/nm.people.com.cn]

A man lights the furnace following the pre-cooking ceremony. Usually, a whole camel takes around six hours to cook and needs a team of 10 cooks, not including the time taken to marinate the animal prior to going in the oven.[Photo/nm.people.com.cn]

The roasted camel is wheeled out on a wooden handcart. [Photo/nm.people.com.cn]

The finished dish is common in countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Mali. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, this savory food has a highly distinct flavor. [Photo/nm.people.com.cn]