What to eat Mongolia? culinary specialties and gastronomy

In Ulaanbaatar, many restaurants and guanz are open continuously, from 11am or 12pm until the evening. Mongolians generally eat early in the evening, around 7pm. Most restaurants close early in the evening, between 9 and 10 pm. In Ulaanbaatar, however, more and more restaurants are open until midnight.

The capital now offers a wide range of restaurants and specialties from all over the world: Chinese, Korean, Mexican, Italian, French, Indian... Prices remain very reasonable: you should expect to pay between T€30,000 and T€50,000 per person for a hearty Western-style meal. Meat is generally excellent.

Numerous small restaurants offer the full range of traditional dishes(khuushuur, buuz, soups...) for eating on the run. These guanz are generally the only places where you can eat in sum or aimag. They cost between T€5,000 and T€7,000 per person.

In the countryside, the only way to eat is either to stock up on your own food, or to share meals with nomads, to whom you should not arrive empty-handed, but with gifts, however modest, for the whole family.

Tipping is not a common practice in Mongolia. In general, one does not leave a tip in restaurants, except in some high-end establishments, which have adopted the custom of their Western customers. The final bill is usually the sum of the posted prices, without having to pay anything extra. Some upscale restaurants may charge a service fee, but it is usually very small.

Locals do not drink water from jugs, as tap water is not drinkable. You will need to order drinks or bottled water to quench your thirst while eating.

You don't need to spend much time in Mongolia to understand that the most common dish is buuz. And it's a good idea to try it when you first taste it, because in small restaurants in the countryside, it's often the only dish available on the daily menu! These are steamed ravioli filled with a mixture of meat, mutton fat and onions. Its fried variant is khuushuur, a mutton fritter that is also very popular.

Salted milk tea(tsai) is the local drink par excellence! Wherever you can eat, this tea infused with water and milk, lightly salted, flows freely. It's also the first thing the nomads offer their visitors.

Mongolia is not exactly a destination for vegetarians... The local diet consists almost exclusively of meat, and vegetables and fruit are hard to come by. In the capital's restaurants, vegetarian dishes are less and less rare, as things have been changing in Ulaanbaatar over the last few years. In the countryside, on the other hand, vegetarian options are hard to come by. There are only two options left: resign yourself to eating meat during your stay, or adapt by shopping in advance at the markets. The latter solution is not always easy to implement, however, because imported fruit and vegetables are rare in Mongolia, especially in remote areas, and because they are quite expensive, even more so outside the summer season. The owners of guesthouses, ger camps and travel agencies, aware of this demand, often do their utmost to satisfy their vegetarian clientele. So let them know about your diet in advance.

In Ulaanbaatar and throughout the country, smoking is prohibited inside restaurants. In principle, smoking is even forbidden in all public spaces, including terraces.

The cafés in the capital are generally open from 8 or 9 in the morning and close at the end of the day or in the evening. Bars open later, from 11am or 12pm for some establishments, and even in the late afternoon for those that are exclusively nocturnal.

In the country towns, it is difficult to find cafés and bars. However, one can take welcome breaks in the guanz located around the markets to drink tea with salted milk or have a bite to eat.

In recent years, the number of cafés and bakeries in Ulaanbaatar has multiplied. It's easy to find a nice place to take a gourmet break, as the big Korean coffee chains are located all over the capital. Cappuccino, mocha, latte... expect to pay between T7,000 and T9,000 for a hot drink.

Mongolia's other major cities, such as Erdenet and Kharkhorin, also have a few cafés, but it's still very rare and difficult to find cafés and bars in the towns of the Mongolian countryside.

Vodka is king in Mongolia. When it comes to alcoholic beverages, it remains Mongolia's favorite option. As it's customary among nomads to refuse nothing, visitors are invited to sample this cold-weather beverage. A whole ritual accompanies the tasting. Vodka is served in a glass or bowl that is passed from host to guest. The glass is held in the right hand, with the left hand under the elbow of the right arm. Take a sip, then pass it to your left-hand neighbor, so that the glass continues to circulate in a clockwise direction. The first time the glass is passed, each person dips his or her 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 final drop straight ahead. The most daring can drink it straight down. For those who do not wish to drink, simply respond to the ritual, hold out your lips, mime the act of drinking and pass the glass or bowl.

Aïrag, fermented mare's milk, slightly alcoholic and with a very pronounced taste, is also widely consumed by Mongolians, who can swallow several liters a day. Nomads don't hesitate to offer their visitors this very local drink!