Mongolian Food
Mongolian Cuisine
The main diet in rural Mongolia is beef and lamb or sheep. They are all wild, grass-fed, and organic. Occasionally locals will eat horse meat however, most people prefer to eat it in the winter because they believe the horse meat makes you hotter in the summer. Some of the traditional dishes are a variety of dumpling dishes, steamed dumplings or buuz in Mongolian served with cabbage and carrot salads, large flat fried dumplings or khuushuur in Mongolian also served with cabbage and carrot salad, boiled milk tea dumpling soup and steamed homemade noodles with stir fried meat and vegetables called tsuivan. Most dumplings are stuffed with seasoned meat but sometimes families make vegetarian dumplings that are stuffed with cabbage, carrots, and onions.
The boodog is usually made with goat but hunters will often make it with marmot that they hunted. This is true for Mongolian BBQ because the preparation and technique they use to prepare this meal is unique. They strip the skin of the goat or the marmot without making any cut in the body, the meat gets chopped up into small pieces and then gets thrown back into the skin with burning red hot stones and vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and onions, the ends of the skin's openings are tied with wires and then finish cooking it from the outside using a blow torch.
The boodog is similar to khorkhog but a large airtight metal container is used instead of the skin and they only use lamb or goat. This technique is more like cooking in a pressure cooker.
Mongolians also make many variations of milk products. Each region specializes in its own techniques resulting in different tastes and textures. The main traditional milk products are dry yogurt curds or aaruul in Mongolian, plain cheese or byaslaga, and plain yogurt or tarag usually made from cow's milk or sheep's milk.
Mongolian Beverages
The most common drink in Mongolia is tea, often prepared with milk and a pinch of salt. Sometimes fresh milk fat is added for richness, though tea is occasionally served black as well.
The second most popular traditional drink is airag, fermented mare's milk, typically made during the summer. It has a slightly sour, mildly sweet flavor and is an acquired taste for many foreigners. The alcohol content is low, but when fermented longer, it can have a stronger effect, similar to beer.
Another traditional Mongolian drink is nermel arkhi, comparable to Japanese sake, Korean soju, or Chinese rice wine. Made from distilled yogurt, it has a subtle yogurt-like flavor and can be enjoyed cold or warmed. Many older Mongolians believe it has medicinal properties.
In Ulaanbaatar, you’ll find a variety of Western beers, including Miller and Heineken. Local Mongolian beers such as Chinggis, Gem Grand, Borgio, and Sengur are also popular choices.
