Editor’s note: As a native Springsian, China is a distant voyage indeed for Kate Jonuska, The Gazette’s dining critic. Still, Jonuska will be traveling to the Far East for two weeks, including visits to Beijing, the Xinjiang province and Tibet. Starting Monday, Aug. 6, she will report her (hopefully fantastic) meals from China until Aug. 20 at twitter.com/CoSpringsEats and facebook.com/coloradospringseats. Follow along to share the culinary journey.

Aug. 20

Hot and sweaty days in Turpan had me running for Popsicles. Which to choose?http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q554/coloradospringseats/cda15e38.jpgOh, green bean. Definitely green bean.

Aug. 19

Don’t think there’s enough yak? It’s so prevalent here that when I arrived back at the table to see the soup course served, my friends told me this was warm, spiced yak blood soup. And I completely believed them. It’s actually tomato. How exotic!

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For those who hadn’t yet know, the national animal of Tibet is yak. You see pictures and real-life examples of the animal all over the country and in local company logos. You also see it all over every single menu in Lhasa, the capitol and largest city in Tibet. This burger was a nice example. The patty was constructed of minced yak and mushrooms. To me, the meat is mild. Lightly gamey, a bit chewier than beef, but unobjectionable over all. The patty texture was actually reminiscent of veggie burgers. And the fries? Thus far, China has not been able to pull off good fries.

Now off to look at/sample/buy some yak steak, yak kebabs, yak pizza, yak butter tea, yak soap, yak candles, yak leather, yak fur….

Aug. 18

My last night in Tibet, and second to last in China. It’s all airports and leg cramps from there. On Day 14, then, I’ll share with you my odds and ends and snacks.

Chips, for instance, are rare. The Chinese prefer sweet to salty snacks. I tracked down only one contender:

From the picture, I thought, “Hey, potato chips to eat with a juicy steak.” The reality? They’re steak-flavored potato chips. Yes, I still ate them.

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Speaking of familiar-looking but not -tasting food, hamburgers anyone? At the wedding, we were served tiny buns with a gap on on side in which you stuff an onion and veggie mixture.

Novel, certainly. The fibrous filling pulled out with the first bite, though. Still, very fun.

http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q554/coloradospringse

Aug. 17

In transit today, but am still savoring the memory of my first in-country Peking Duck. Granted, we ate in Urumqi rather than Beijing, which is known for the dish, but I have no regrets.

The duck arrives whole – headless, but with browned, crispy skin – and is carved into small slices. To assemble the traditional way, you add the duck to and ultra-thin wrap, much like a crepe, along with slivers if green onion and a savory jam. Ah, that jam. Fruity but balanced with soy and acid, blended until shiny and smooth. Roll up and eat.

There you have it, a Chinese duck burrito.

The foreign made just a wee but familiar to this Colorado gal. Utterly delicious.

Aug. 16

More “Western” hotel food: fried cheese sticks.http://buff.ly/MZw3Nv Again, familiar but very different. Panko breading, a creamier cheese and a berry dipping sauce. Reminiscent of brie topped with fruit compote. Loved it! Aug. 15

Even a food critic can get a little tired of the local cuisine. Our guides have been fantastic for the most part, but they always want to take us to the *best* Chinese food, the *best* Muslim food, etc. Therefore, we do often have dishes repetitively. The hotel, on the other hand, touts its “Western” menu. I was curious about what they considered Western… http://buff.ly/MZvkf6

Pizza! Well, kind of. The dough is bready, a thick crumb, no pizza-like rise, but fine. The topping was advertised as beef, but the beef is in the Xinjiang style. Slow-cooked, spiced. Nonetheless, a great departure from what I’ve been eating morning, noon and night for more than a week. Bonus: They serve martinis. You’d be amazed at what passes for a martini at some Chinese establishments, especially if there’s a language barrier.

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Aug. 15

With all the eating, a little exercise: China’s version of the Inclinehttp://buff.ly/MWCbpG More than 1,000 steps in Kanas forest #chinafood

Aug. 14

Next destination: Burqin, a small tourist town tucked in the mountains with Swiss chalet-style buildings. Well, except that the buildings, including the roofs, are painted poured concrete. It felt lovely to be back in thin alpine air, but also ultra-touristy, as if no one lived permanently in the town and so I had little hope of finding great food.

Learn to be surprised, I guess. The dining room was drafty and chilly, the table cloth of plastic, and the tea so thin as to be basically hot water. Give me potatoes like theirs, though — orange with spices, though yukon white in the middle, hot in temperature and spiciness — and expectations can be thrown out the window. In the background of the photo, a common dish I’ve had many times, though done well in Burqin. The Chinese call it black fungus. Uh, no thank you with that name. They’re actually a thin, curled mushroom doused in soy as well as sometimes ginger, garlic, vinegar and a bit of sugar. Very tasty.

Aug. 13

As promised, super-sweet grapes if Turpan made into tiny delicious raisins. Such an unexpectantly delicious meal in this provinces version of the sticks. The heat was oppressive until we entered the shaded grape arbor and the food was served. To be continued…

Aug. 12

Check out the “hot pot” scene in Urumqi. Part fondue, part Mongolian BBQ, all gluttony.

Seriously, Americans aren’t the kings of excess. This ingredient bar stretched half a mile all together. 13 soy/tofu options, 8 types of mushrooms, dozens of leafy greens, seafood, poultry, beef, lamb. Load your plate and cook in your personal boiling pot of neutral or spicy liquid. Spicy with chicken was ideal, especially with peanut sauce from the (dozens of options) sauce bar.

Plus, there’s a bit of Casa Bonita-like entertainment thanks to a roving live band and dancers.

Aug. 12

Desserts? Not so much, sorry, chocolate lovers. Desserts are always fruit, which ain’t bad when they’re known for fruit country-wide. Melons always, but here in Turpan, they’re famous for grapes. Green, sweet grapes.

The best lunch so far was in Turpan — where it’s hot as the devil — under a trellis of grape vines. All diners must wash their hands three times from the cistern in local fashion. Clusters of the ripe fruit hung from the shady ceiling and walls, and the food kept coming. Sweet potato dumplings, sizzling potatoes over an open flame, wicked spicy lamb kebabs…

Aug. 10

Some of the safest market options (did I mention the flies? and the fresh meat? not an appetizing combo) are nuts and dried fruits, shown here at the Kashgar market. The raisins particularly are incredible. Saffron is also produced here, though it’s not of the highest quality. It’s used mostly for teas and dyes, though it’s excellent baked into a non-sweet, cornbread-like pan bread.

Aug. 9

A little more information about where I am: Xingjiang province. From the home base of Urumqi — a city of more than 3 million most USAians have never heard of — I’m taking in the region, starting near Kashgar. Marco Polo wrote extensively about Kashgar during his Silk Road trips.The province borders 8 countries, including Russia, Mongolia, India and most of the “-stans.” Even Chinese call it “far and mystery,” according to our guide. Just imagine how I feel…Our next venture lies east, to Targar and more interesting eats.

Aug. 8

Chopsticks aren’t much of a problem for me. Enjoying a family-style meal can be difficult with such small plates, however! This lunch had seven entrees (including this beef), soup, rolls, rice and fruit for dessert, plus endless cups of tea.

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The beef (moo!) is notably more flavorful than some in the States. Visiting the Uygher markets, where men hack cuts off whole hanging animals, the freshness is obviously key. More on markets to come.

Aug. 7

“Pulled” laghman noodles of the region (Kashgar) done right will be a bowl filled with one unbroken noodle.

Aug. 6

The culture shock begins in the air as the food evolves. The (typically meh) entree of chicken plus pickled vegetables and a mystery cup of dairy. Too thin for yogurt, too thick for a drink like lassi, I had no idea whether to drink it or use a spoon. I’m will have enough opportunities to embarrass myself, and so I watch other passengers and wait. Verdict: spoon for the dessert dairy… soup? – Dining critic Kate Jonuska on Day 1 of her two-week tour of China

Check it out at http://buff.ly/OEzmYN