'Love nang' a souvenir of affection from heart of Xinjiang

'Love nang’ a souvenir of affection from heart of Xinjiang

跨越千里，我把馕从新疆背回北京!

Moments after boarding my plane in Urumqi bound for Beijing, I was still clutching to my chest a rather unusual package, wondering if it would even fit in the overhead compartment. I worried it might not survive under the weight of someone's carry-on suitcase. After all, this was not your typical souvenir, but rather - as my colleagues had dubbed it - a stack of " love nang" .

登上自乌鲁木齐飞往北京的飞机已经好一会儿了，而我的怀里依然紧紧抱着一个特别的包裹，思考着是不是该把它放到头顶的行李舱中。我担心它会被压在某个登机箱下，最终不堪重负，落个“粉身碎骨”的下场。毕竟，这可不是一摞你们想象中的普通纪念品--同事们都叫它“爱心馕”。

When I first learned I would travel to Xinjiang for work, my thoughts turned to the region's signature flatbread - nang - which had captivated me at first bite, with its crispy, perforated crust and soft, buttery flavor. But my husband, Jun, is even more of a fan than I am. So naturally, when the conversation turned to what I might buy for him in Xinjiang, his eyes sparkled at the suggestion of bringing back some authentic nang.

最初得知要到新疆出差时，我就想到了那里标志性的食物-馕。馕饼外皮酥脆、气孔丰富，内心柔软，似有黄油的醇香。记得第一次吃馕，一口下去，齿颊留香，从此便令我魂牵梦萦。而我先生，俊(Jun)，对馕的钟爱程度比我是有过之而无不及。所以，当谈到我能从新疆给他带回些什么的时候，我自然就提到了那里正宗的馕。这个提议令他眼前一亮。

We had both assumed it wouldn't involve much hassle - perhaps a visit to a neighborhood bakery near my hotel in Urumqi the night before my flight back to Beijing. But that plan went up in the smoke of a tandoor oven serving up nang in an artist village in Aksu prefecture.

我们都以为这并不是什么难事。回北京的前一晚我住在乌鲁木齐。或许我只需到酒店附近的打馕店走上一遭，便能如愿以偿。可当我途径阿克苏地区的艺术家村落时，这个计划就已随着馕坑烤炉里升起的缕缕轻烟消散得无影无踪了。

The aromatic smell of nang drew my entire travel group to the scene, where the bakers were using a long, metal hook to pull hot, golden rounds out of the oven and toss them in a tantalizing pile that would dispel any thoughts of low-carb diets. Pieces of freshly baked nang were passed among us and the taste elevated me to a new kind of bread nir vana.

烤馕的香气把我们整个考察团都吸引了过去。打馕人正在用一根长长的铁钩从馕坑中取出馕饼，并把它们掷在案上，摞成一摞。热腾腾的圆饼色泽金黄，令人垂涎欲滴。在这样的诱惑面前，所有人都会把“低碳饮食”的概念抛之脑后。

Amid my gluten high, I remarked how much Jun would adore the bread, and added it was a shame I couldn't buy it, with several days of travel still ahead. But a colleague insisted that Urumqi's nang would ultimately disappoint me, and that, thanks to the baking process, the bread in this village would keep well for many days.

借着谷物蛋白带来的微醺，我说起俊对馕的钟爱。可是考察的行程还有好几天，我没法买这里的烤馕，因此又不禁唏嘘不已。但是一位同事坚称，乌鲁木齐的馕绝对会令我大失所望，幸运的是，由于其独特的烘烤过程，这个村子里的馕可以放很多天都不会变质。