Characteristic products
The hot summers and particularly cold winters, combined with modest rainfall, make agriculture in Mongolia very uncertain and limited. Corn, wheat, barley and potatoes are the main crops of importance, to which are added cabbage, soybeans, cucumbers, beans, peas, carrots, onions, etc., especially along the oases and wet valleys, as well as some fruits such as watermelons, apples, melons and red fruits.
The main livestock in Mongolia include sheep, goats, cattle, horses, camels and pigs. Until recently, animal husbandry was the main economic activity of the country. These animals are raised primarily for their meat, although goats are prized for their wool. Sheep fat is a very popular food, which is often offered to guests. So don't be too surprised if you are handed a large piece of fat, while Mongolians will "settle" for the meat.
Dairy products are very numerous in the Mongolian diet.Orom is made with the cream that forms on the surface of boiled milk. It is eaten on bread, sprinkled with sugar.Aaruul is a dried cheese that is often seen sunning itself in summer on the roof of yurts. It has a distinctive acidic taste and is served in small bowls alongside sweets. Khuruud is a more "classic" cheese that is also dried. Tarag is a fresh cheese made from yak or cow's milk, similar to yogurt with a sour taste. Finally,airag - known as koumis
in the rest of Central Asia - is a preparation made from fermented mare's milk (sometimes camel's milk), slightly alcoholic, with a very strong taste. Mongolians are very fond of it.In terms of food and eating habits, you will find in the capital both Mongolian and foreign specialties. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian or Indian restaurants are more and more common. In summer, many terraces invade the streets of Ulaanbaatar, and it is possible to enjoy delicious kebabs for a very good price. Many small restaurants offer a wide range of traditional dishes that can be eaten on the go. These guanz
(tavern/canteen) are usually the only places where you can eat outside the capital. Mongolia being the least densely populated country in the world, in the open country, it is more than judicious to foresee reserves, because it is common not to cross a village during tens of kilometers. Mongolia is really not a destination for vegetarians. The food is almost exclusively composed of meat, and it is difficult to find vegetables and fruits. In restaurants, vegetarian dishes are rare, even if things are changing a little in Ulaanbaatar. So there are only three possibilities for vegetarians: resign yourself to eating meat during your stay or plan to buy in advance on the markets. But it is not always easy, because outside the summer, fruits and vegetables, imported, are rare and quite expensive in Mongolia. It is also possible to bring reserves in your luggage: freeze-dried soups, energy bars, etc.The classics of Mongolian cuisine
Among the most consumed dishes in the country, buuz is present everywhere; it is even sometimes the only dish on the menu in small restaurants in the countryside. It is a steamed ravioli with a filling of mutton with fat and onion. Its fried variant is khuushuur, a mutton fritter, also very popular. Near the lakes, you can find fish ravioli. Mutton soups with vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions, etc.) and noodles (guriltai shul) are the basic food of nomadic families. The noodles can also be sautéed, always accompanied by small pieces of mutton (tsuivan
).Boodog
is a recipe prepared with an amazing cooking method using hot stones. This dish is mostly made for traditional celebrations or when Mongolian families receive important guests, as its preparation is quite complex. It consists of a marmot - sometimes a goat or a sheep - butchered and boned, whose skin is sewn up to make a kind of pocket. The skin is sewn back on to make a sort of pocket. Hot stones are then inserted into the pocket to cook the meat from the inside. The whole thing is placed in a large container with water and the meat is simmered for a long time on the fire. Once the pieces of meat are taken out of the container, it is customary to grab a burning stone with one hand and quickly move it from one to the other to avoid burning. Mongolians say that this action brings good luck and is also good for health. The meat is then eaten with a knife and with the help of fingers.Quite similar, but slightly less complex, the khorkhog consists of pieces of lamb or goat that are placed in a pot with vegetables and heated stones. The stones will turn black due to the heat and fat they absorb from the lamb and as with boodog, it is customary to pass the stones from hand to hand after cooking. Khorkhog
, although very popular, is a family dish, very rarely served in restaurants.It is difficult to say exactly who invented fondue, the Chinese or the Mongols. What is certain is that this dish - which has many variations in China - would have been popularized from the 17th century by the Manchu dynasty of Qing, culturally close to the Mongols. The "Mongolian fondue" - sometimes called "Peking fondue" in China - consists of a soup rich in herbs in which some vegetables are simmered. Thin slices of mutton or lamb are dipped in it and cooked instantly. Delicious, it is actually quite rare outside the restaurants in town.
Due to the Soviet heritage, Mongolians eat a lot of goulash, a meat stew of Hungarian origin which was transported to Central Asia during the USSR. Traditionally prepared with beef, here it is replaced by mutton, simmered with lots of onion and paprika. For the winter or the long journeys through the steppe, Mongolians are great fans of borts
, a dried meat that can be eaten as is or in a soup. The Tsagaan Sar or Mongolian New Year is a major period in the daily life of the locals. Its date, based on the rhythm of the moon, is random but often corresponds to the Chinese New Year. Each family prepares several days in advance hundreds of buuz, a tradition similar to the consumption of jiaozi - steamed dumplings - in Northern China for the same period. A large amount of meat is also eaten, usually mutton always with its own fat.Desserts and drinks
As for sweets, on the Tsagaan Sar table, one will find a kind of "pièce montée", the shiniin idee, made up of an odd number of layers of saddle cakes or ul boov, covered with sweets. The "sock cake" - sometimes also called kheviin boov - is eaten on the occasion of the Mongolian New Year and for funeral rites. It is prepared with flour, sugar, salt, egg and sheep fat and has an elongated shape, and is stamped in the center with a decorative imprint. Another sweet, the boortsog
is a type of doughnut.Tea, unsurprisingly, takes center stage here. Milk tea (tsai) flows freely and is offered almost automatically as a welcome. The subtlety of Mongolian tea probably lies in the aeration of the beverage. When the water starts to simmer, the tea is added, then the milk and a little salt are slowly added. It will be even stronger. The amount of milk should be equal to the amount of water. Once the milk is poured, turn off the fire and "aerate" the beverage. Mongolians even like to melt a little butter in it. This drink is very rich in view of the harshness of the local climate. It is also possible to drink tea with yak or sheep milk. Coffee lovers will be less delighted. Generally, freeze-dried coffee is offered in most hotels. Only a few places in Ulaanbaatar and Kharkhorin offer quality coffee. Often, it arrives served with milk without even having asked for it; to be specified.
Russian influence obliges, here the vodka is queen. A whole ritual accompanies its tasting, especially when it is offered as a welcome by the nomadic populations. The vodka is served in a glass or a bowl that is passed from the host to his guest. It is then taken with the right hand, placing the left hand under the elbow of the right arm. One takes a sip, then passes it to the person on the left, so that the glass can continue to circulate in a clockwise direction. When the glass is first passed, each person must dip their right ring finger into the vodka three times, sending one drop into the air for the sky, another to the ground for the earth, and the last one straight ahead. The most daring can drink it straight down. Chinggis - Genghis - vodka represents almost 30% of the spirits market in Mongolia and has won many international awards.
In recent years, beer has been attracting an ever-growing audience. In Ulaanbaatar, the high number of English pubs will surprise the visitors. Japanese, European and Chinese beers land easily in Mongolia. National beers have also emerged. One can find Chinggis, Borgio, Senguur, Khan Brau, Fusion, etc.
