Next Stop: Mongolia


The traditional Mongolian cuisine primarily consists of dairy products and meat. The nomads of Mongolia sustain their lives directly from the products of their animals (horses, cattle, yaks, camels, sheep, goats). Meat is either cooked, used as ingredient for soups or dumplings, or dried for winter (Borts). Milk and cream are used to make a variety of beverages, as well as cheese and similar products.

The Mongolian diet includes a large proportion of animal fat. While this would lead to health problems in an industrialized society, it is necessary for the Mongols to withstand the cold winters and their hard work. Winter temperatures as low as -40 °C and outdoor work require sufficient energy reserves.

The most common rural dish is cooked mutton, often without any other ingredients. In the city, every other locale displays a sign saying buuz. Those are dumplings filled with meat, which are cooked in steam. Other types of dumplings are boiled in water (Bansh), or deep fried in mutton fat (Khuushuur). Other dishes combine the meat with rice or fresh noodles into various hotpots.

The most surprising cooking method is only used on special occasions. In this case, the meat (often together with vegetables) gets cooked with the help of stones, which have been preheated in a fire. This either happens with chunks of mutton in a sealed milk can (Khorkhog), or within the stomach cavity of a deboned marmot or goat (Boodog).

Milk is boiled to sepearte the cream (Orom, clotted cream). The remaining skimmed milk is processed into cheese (Byaslag), dried curds (Aruul), yoghurt, kefir, as well as a light milk liquor (Mongol Arkhi). The most prominent national beverage is airag, fermented mare's milk. As a consequence of the Russian influence during the time of socialism, vodka also has gained some popularity.

The everyday beverage is salted milk tea (Suutei Tsai), which may turn into a robust soup by adding rice, meat, or Bansh.

Some restaurant franchises in Europe and North America offer an attraction which they call "Mongolian Barbeque". Their staff will stir fry all kinds of ingredients (typically of south-east Asian origin) in front of the customer on a large heated steel or stone plate. Although one such locale has opened even in Ulaanbaatar (ironically the first American chain to open in Mongolia), neither the ingredients nor the cooking method has anything in common with Mongolian cuisine. They are rather inspired by the Japanese Teppanyaki.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolian_cuisine