What to eat Mongolia? culinary specialties and gastronomy

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

The capital now offers a large number of restaurants and specialties from around the world: Chinese, Korean, Mexican, Italian, French, Indian... The prices remain very reasonable: it is necessary to count between 25 000 and 30 000 T per person for a copious Western meal. The meat is generally excellent.

Many small restaurants offer a wide range of traditional dishes(khuushuur, buuz, soups...) to eat on the go. These guanz are generally the only places where you can eat in the sum or the aimags. It is necessary to count between 5 000 and 7 000 T per person.

In the countryside, the only way to eat is either to have one's own reserves or to share the meals of the nomads, to whom it is nevertheless advisable not to arrive empty-handed, but with gifts, even very 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.

No need to spend a lot of time in Mongolia to understand that the common dish is the buuz. And it is advisable to appreciate it from the first tasting because, in small restaurants in the countryside, it is often the only dish available on the menu of the day! It is 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! Everywhere you can eat, this tea brewed in water and milk, slightly salty, flows freely. It is also the first thing that the nomads offer to their visitors.

Mongolia is not really a destination for vegetarians... The local 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 in Ulaanbaatar since several years. So there are only two possibilities: resign yourself to eating meat during your stay or adapt by planning to buy in advance on the markets. This last solution is not always easy to implement, because imported fruits 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 best to satisfy their vegetarian customers. Please inform them in advance about your diet

In Ulaanbaatar and in the whole country, smoking is not allowed inside restaurants. In principle, it is even forbidden to smoke 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.

Cafes and bakeries have multiplied in recent years in Ulaanbaatar. It is easy to find nice establishments where you can have a gourmet break, the big Korean coffee chains being installed everywhere in the capital. Cappuccino, mocha, latte... count between 7 000 and 9 000 T for a hot drink.

The other big cities of Mongolia like Erdenet or Kharkhorin also have some establishments, but it remains very rare and difficult to find cafes and bars in the cities of the Mongolian countryside

Vodka is king in Mongolia. In the field of alcoholic beverages, it remains the favorite option of Mongolians. Among the nomads, as it is good manners to refuse nothing, visitors will be led to taste this beverage of the cold countries. A whole ritual accompanies the tasting. The vodka is served in a glass or a bowl that is passed from the host to his guest. You have to take it with your right hand, placing your left hand under the elbow of your 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 then the last one straight ahead. The most daring can drink it down. For those who do not wish to drink, it is enough to respond to the ritual, to hold out the lips, to mime the act of drinking and to pass the glass or bowl.

Aïrag, fermented mare's milk, slightly alcoholic and with a very strong taste, is also very much consumed by Mongolians, who can ingest several liters per day. Nomads do not hesitate to offer their visitors this very local drink!