The Mid-Autumn Festival is synonymous with lanterns, mooncakes and family gatherings. But this year in Kashi, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the Chinese mainland, a new star is rising on dinner tables: desert crawfish.
Fed by the lifeline of the Yarkand River, these crustaceans have defied expectations. Plump, vibrant and surprisingly big, they’re far from the sea – thriving instead in a desert ecosystem engineered by innovation.
It all began as a bold experiment by a young aquaculture specialist from Shandong. What looked like "hopeless" terrain in Makit County quickly transformed into a flourishing habitat. By adapting water flow, monitoring temperature and introducing natural feed, the project scaled from a handful of ponds to acres of thriving waterways.
Local families and visiting foodies are lining up to sample the seasonal catch. Restaurants in Kashi are pairing crawfish with traditional mooncake flavors, creating playful fusion menus that celebrate both harvest and innovation.
The success story in Xinjiang shines a light on sustainable aquaculture in extreme environments. It offers a blueprint for other regions seeking to boost food security, excite tourists and empower young entrepreneurs with a taste for bold experiments.
As lanterns glow and the full moon rises, desert crawfish stand ready to rewrite festival traditions and spark a fresh conversation about the future of food in a changing world.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
