Grilled Skewers

The story

Grilled skewers are China’s ultimate street food. Their roots trace back to Xinjiang’s Uyghur lamb kebab tradition, but they’ve spread eastward and evolved into their own category. The casual outdoor barbecue scene is a defining social ritual, especially in summer. In Chinese slang, it’s called “lùchuàn” (撸串, literally “sliding skewers”). From Shenyang in the northeast to Zibo in Shandong, which went viral in 2023, every region has its own skewer culture. A night out with friends almost always involves cold beer and a table piled high with bamboo skewers.

What to expect

Picture rows of small skewers laid across a charcoal grill. They’re loaded with cubes of lamb, chicken wings, beef, seafood, vegetables, tofu, or more adventurous items like kidneys, hearts, and cartilage. Everything gets dusted with a signature mix of cumin, chili flakes, and salt. You order by the skewer, and five or ten at a time is normal. The experience is loud, smoky, and intensely social. Street-side stalls set up plastic tables and stools on the sidewalk. Indoor restaurants offer the same food with air conditioning and better seating.

Tips

Start with lamb skewers (yáng ròu chuàn, 羊肉串). They’re the classic and almost always good. Order with “wēi là” (微辣, mild spice) if you want to ease in. The unit of ordering is “chuàn” (串, skewer), so “shí chuàn yáng ròu” means ten lamb skewers. Adventurous eaters should try “yáo zi” (腰子, kidneys) and “jīn zhēn gū” (金针菇, enoki mushrooms wrapped in bacon). Pair with cold local beer for the authentic experience. Skewer stalls usually open in the evening and run late into the night.