What do Mongolians Eat? 8 Lesser Known Mongolian Dishes to Try
These local dishes are the popular foods Mongolians eat, from banshtai tsai to Naadam khuushur, and more.
This is part two of traditional Mongolian food you must try while visiting Mongolia. In the previous blog, we mentioned popular traditional dishes that every tourist had to try. However, in this blog the foods mentioned are what locals including myself eat on a daily basis.
As we mentioned before, an average Mongolian meal usually consists of meat, dairy, and flour based products. During warmer seasons, summer and spring locals reduce their meat intake and instead eat lighter meals mainly consisting of dairy products which is called tsagaan idee.
While traveling through Mongolia and immersing yourself in the authentic experience of staying with nomadic families you are guaranteed to taste at least one of these underrated dishes.
My personal favorite dish is banshtai tsai because it’s so comforting, and obviously my grandma makes the best version! When I’m sick with a cold, or flu, or just generally run down, if grandma is coming in from the countryside, it’s the dish I always ask her to make for me.
After two bowls of this dish and a nap, it’s the best remedy in Mongolia!
Read more about banshtai tsai, and other lesser known dishes Mongolians eat, below.
Table of Contents
Banshtai Tsai: Milk Tea with Meat Dumplings
It may seem like a weird combination but banshtai tsai is truly an underrated dish and a must try. Mongolian milk tea is savory and salty making it pair wonderfully with the meaty dumplings.
The process of making this dish is simple. You can use frozen dumplings from the store or make them from scratch. Keep in mind these dumplings are smaller in size than the traditional buuz we generally eat.
The most important part of this meal is the milk tea, which is the base. In order to make authentic savory milk tea we add bones, ghee, and millet to bring out the salty flavor. Then once the tea is done, the dumplings are added and cooked for almost 20 minutes before it’s finally ready.
On a cold rainy day a bowl of banshtai tsai truly hits the spot.
Suutei Budaa: Milk Rice Pudding
This is a personal childhood favorite of mine. Consisting of milk, grain of choice, butter, and sugar the taste is subtle yet comforting. It can be eaten everyday thanks to its light taste and easy digestibility. Parents usually make it for their young children to help with the children’s intake of calcium.
It is also easy to make as you add all the ingredients in one pot, simmer it and wait until the rice is fully cooked. It shouldn’t be too thick if it is then add more milk or water to get it to a slightly runny consistency.
Urum: Clotted Cream
Urum is the mongolian version of butter. It is eaten throughout all seasons on bread, boortsog (fried dough) and if you add a teaspoon of it to your milk tea it gives a much creamier taste.
The process of making the clotted cream usually takes one to two days. The best urum is made in the countryside by nomadic families since the milk is as fresh as it gets. The general process of making clotted cream is first to simmer the milk and using a big ladle they scoop the milk and raise it as high as they can to aerate it. This process is done for a few times until bubbles start to form.
Once there are enough bubbles on the surface the heat is turned off and in 30 minutes a layer of cream is created, to make the layer thicker they leave it to rest for 12-24 hours and after that they remove the layer of cream. It is best to eat the clotted cream while it’s freshly made as it will be creamier and richer in flavor.
Wild Berries
There are over 60+ wild berries growing in Mongolia. However, the most popular and rich in vitamins are sea buckthorn, blueberry, and strawberries.
Sea buckthorn is the remedy for all sickness. The special trait that makes this berry stand out is that it contains oil which is used for multiple medical purposes. It mainly tastes tart and sour. Personally, I like to use the syrup form and dilute it with hot water and drink it whenever I’m sick. The syrup is sold in almost every grocery store, look for the bottle that says Shar Doctor.
Blueberries are also used for medical purposes as they are rich in vitamins and minerals. We locals usually buy the handpicked blueberries from markets and make it into a jam or syrup. Blueberries offer a ton of health benefits such as supporting eye health, reducing the risk of cancer and improving cognitive function.
Wild strawberries are very popular during summer. They are picked in July as the flowers bloom during May and June. Mongolian strawberries are renowned for their petite size similar to a blueberry, however the flavor is a great blend of tartness and sweetness. You’ll see local herders selling them on the side of the roads in jars. Depending on the size the price ranges from 10,000 to 20,000 tugriks.
Eezgii (Dried Cheese Curds)
Eezgii is rich in probiotics and prebiotics which are needed to improve the digestive system. The process of making this white food is slightly tricky.
First, they boil the milk and add yogurt to make the curd and ghee separate. Then once separated it is boiled down until the ghee is fully evaporated on low heat so that the cheese doesn’t burn.
It should be boiled for around three to five hours depending on how much they are making. Then the curd is left to dry, turning into a chewy cheese snack. You shouldn’t eat too much as it could do more bad than good to your stomach.
Niislel Salad
Niislel Salad, also known as Capital Salad, has a rich history and is essentially what you would call potato salad in the west.
Niislel salad was brought over during Soviet times but has now become an important dish to Mongolians. It is made during celebrations such as Naadam and Tsagaan Sar (Lunar New year), and is to be eaten as a side dish with buuz and khuushuur.
The base ingredients are diced and cooked potatoes and carrots, corn, green peas, ham, cucumber and mayonnaise. The salad is customizable to your own liking. Personally, I like adding diced pickles to add an acidic flavor.
Naadam Khuushuur
Naadam is one of the biggest traditional festivals in Mongolia and there are certain dishes that are synonymous with it, including Naadam khuushuur.
Regular khuushuur is the size of your palm and is shaped like a half moon. However, khuushuur made during Naadam is round and flat. Both versions are made with diced meat, usually mutton, and a flour and water dough.
The trick to making good khuushuur is in the frying. Before frying, the diced mutton is added to the dough and is lightly flattened with a rolling pin. Then, it’s dropped into a pot of oil and is fried until golden brown. Since it is flat and thin there is no worry that it will be raw.
Usually, at Naadam, we get a stack of eight to ten khuushuur in a bag and eat it throughout the day watching the festival activities.
You have been warned that these khuushuur are oily and filled with juices which will definitely spill on your clothes if you don’t eat them with a napkin.
Shiimin Arkhi
Shimiin arkhi is a popular mongolian alcohol beverage. It is a vodka distilled from dairy products mostly from horse, yak and camel milk. As it’s made from dairy products there are benefits from drinking this beverage. When mixed with molasses or butter it can help soothe stomach pain.
We Mongolians think the taste is smoother and cleaner than vodka. You can actually taste a hint of milk as an aftertaste!
If you have tried shiimin arkhi before, leave a comment below and let us know what you think.
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