Autumn in Jiuquan tastes like freshly baked shaokezi, a traditional cake of the Yugur people.

Crimson desert dates are softened, pitted, and mixed with oil and sugar — a simple, heartfelt tribute to sweetness. Wrapped in soft, risen dough and baked slowly in a wood-fired kiln, each pastry emerges lightly crisp on the outside and tender inside.

With one bite, the sweet-tart desert date filling melts into the warm aroma of wheat. It's the flavor of the land, sealed into every golden round.