Last Updated on December 2, 2022 by
Mongolian food
Mongolian food combines the nomadic culture of Mongolia with the influences of many central Asian countries. Mongolian food is primarily boiled mutton, tea mixed with camel, cow, sheep, and horse milk, and Tibetan-style dumplings. There is a lot more fat and weight in Mongolian food. The extreme climate in those countries makes it harmless since it burns. Mongolian tradition says that meat belongs to men and grass to animals.
It is considered white food for Mongolians, whereas red food for them is meat. White foods typically contain different types of milk, like horses, goats, cows, sheep, camels, and reindeer. Health benefits make horse and cow milk the most popular style. There is a higher level of nutrition in horse milk than in any other type.
It is a staple of all Mongolian menus to have mutton on the menu. Moreover, different foods are eaten according to the season. Most of the time, they consume milk products in the summer while dried meat is in the winter. Mongols also eat the heart and intestines of animals, which is another unique characteristic. Only horse meat is forbidden to them. In addition, chicken, pork, and beef are unusual ingredients in their recipes. (Since they are not likely to survive in Mongolian winter). Despite having never traditionally served vegetables, fruit, and bread, they now have them on their menus. (Food of Mongolia)
THE Mongolian Food Recipes and How to Make Mongolian Food
You’re going to enjoy Mongolian food if you want meat-heavy dishes. You should try the following traditional dishes on your next trip to Mongolia.
1. Buuz
Mongolian dumplings stuffed with meat are known as buuz. Mongolians typically eat this dish to celebrate the Lunar New Year. It is under the influence of the Siberian High during the winter, so Mongolians consume fatty foods such as buzz to survive. Cooks vary in their dumpling recipes, but usually, they are filled with a mixture of tail fat, onions, victory onions, and caraway.
Various forms of buuz can be found in Mongolia and are named after the shapes and folds they take on, like “flower buuz,” “sheep buuz,” or “lazy buuz.”. A flower buuz is the most similar to an actual flower, while a lazy buuz looks and is made in the shortest amount of time. Approximately palm-sized pieces of dough are cut into the dough. A meat mixture is filled into flattened layers; then, then folded and sealed. A dumpling is steamed and consumed by hand after twenty minutes.
2. Bansh
An ill-named kind of Mongolian dumpling is called a bansh, about half as big as a buuz. As a side dish or soup addition, it is usually steamed and eaten. In Mongolia, banshtai Tsai, a kind of milk tea with dumplings, is one of the most exciting dishes made with bansh. The recipe varies, but it typically calls for bansh, water, milk, flour, salt, and tail fat.
It is prepared by cutting the sheep’s tail into pieces and frying them. It adds flour to the tail fat once it reaches a golden brown color during the frying process. After adding water, it is boiled. It may seem like just soup and dumplings at this point, but that isn’t the case! As soon as the bansh is ready, it is added to the soup and some salt and milk.
Suite Tsai is a traditional Mongolian drink that consists of tea and milk. Then you would have milk tea with dumplings or banshtai Tsai if you added bansh into suite Tsai. There’s no better way to experience Mongolia than by eating this dish.
3. Khuushuur
Khuushuur is similar to chebureki, a fried pastry filled with seasoned ground beef from Russian cuisine. There are some elements of Russian cuisine infused into this Mongolian dish.
Khuushuur’s ingredients are similar to those of a buuz or bansh, but it is about three to four times larger. Due to its deep frying, it’s much oilier than the two previous dumplings. It’s usually shaped in an oval or half-moon shape. Naadam, a Mongolian festival that features competitions in three sports disciplines – wrestling, horse racing, and archery – serves Khuushuur, a traditional dish. Naadam Khuushuur is round, unlike homemade versions.
4. Tsuivan
This dish is made with meat and vegetables and is a type of Mongolian noodle. Mutton is the traditional meat, but beef, pork, or other kinds can also be used. It is prepared by rolling out the dough into a round sheet and brushing it with some oil. Following the cutting step, it’s stacked and sliced into strips about 0.15 cm (0.04 in) wide.
Meat and vegetables are simmering together in a pot when noodles are added. Undercover the bank, a layer of water is boiling, which allows the noodles to steam. The noodles are cooked after approximately 10-15 minutes, and the pot is covered and tossed to mix all of the ingredients thoroughly. In Mongolia, men love tsuivan, so it’s an open secret that how well a woman makes tsuivan is an indicator of how capable she is as a housewife. The chances are that she’ll be an excellent wife if she knows how to cook.
5. Guriltai Shul
Mongolian noodle soups belong to the Guriltai shul family. In this diet, meat and vegetables are consumed, as well as root crops and noodles. Its literal translation is “noodle soup.”Mongolian Guriltai shul of the Catalan variety is among the most exciting types. This soup is not fancy; it’s seasoned with salt and boiled lamb or beef bones. It is sometimes necessary to fry the dough sheets before cutting them into strips.
Mongolians aren’t picky about the length or shape of their noodles, unlike other countries, which often shape their noodles into long strands. If the noodles taste good, the length, width, and thickness do not matter.
6. Khorkhog
When talking about Mongolian BBQ, the idea of meat slices on a barbecue furnace is frequently used. However, Khorkhog is very different from that. This is a delicacy made by Mongolian nomads. Khorkhog is unlikely to be present in large eateries. In contrast to traditional BBQ, Khorkhog begins with goat meat in a milk jug. Then the nomads would add some pebbles and water to the jug. To cook the meat, they will finally set the jug over the flame while it is filled with water and stones.
Khorkhog preparation takes roughly an hour. And you may check if they’re ready to serve by sniffing the beverage. The nomads are exceptionally skilled because they have been preparing this meal for a long time. Mongolians rarely use overwhelming spices to season their meals. Due to that, the dish enhances every ingredient’s natural flavor and aroma. Khorkhog is also not an exception. The mildly fat lambs will pair well with the soft vegetables in taste.
Mongolian food: A final thought
Read more: What is Italian bread, and how is it prepared in the food processor?
As Mongolians use meat in nearly every dish, you’ll have no trouble enjoying Mongolian food if you like meat. Mongolian cooking uses seasonings sparingly, as previously described. Often, meat dishes are lightly seasoned with salt to highlight the natural flavors of the heart.
As Mongolia has long and cold winters, Mongolians consume highly fatted animal products to pack calories and stay warm. The nomadic lifestyle they maintain is in keeping with their nomadic ways.
