[If you know even one thing, you're a real know-it-all!] Introducing Mongolian food culture!
Good evening, this is Kawada, the Mongolia manager at HushTug.
Today we will introduce you to Mongolian food culture!
Mongolia has a nomadic culture and there are almost no fish dishes, with the culture being meat-eating, mainly lamb.
In this article, I will introduce some of the dishes served in cafeterias and traditional dishes with photos.
The meat that is commonly eaten in Mongolia is mostly lamb, and since there are not as many seasonings as there are in Japan, many dishes are seasoned only with salt.
However, the meat itself has a strong flavor, so even just adding salt is quite tasty, and aside from Japanese food, I like Mongolian food the best ^^
First, let me introduce you to "Tsoiwan," which is similar to the Japanese "yakiudon."
The ingredients are flour, potatoes, carrots, and meat (lamb or beef). The noodles have a drier texture than udon, but Mongolians eat it a lot because it is a traditional dish and the cost is low.
In the cafeteria, a meal costs around 200 yen.
Next, we will introduce "Hoshor".
The best way to describe it is as a larger version of Japanese fried dumplings. It is made by wrapping lamb in a flour skin and deep frying it in oil.
Many participants in the annual Naadam festival, held every July, eat this hushor.
The food eaten during Naadam is special, and a full moon-shaped hoshor is made.
They cost about 30 to 40 yen each, and if you eat two you'll be full.
Next up we'll introduce Bose.
When it comes to Mongolian cuisine, it is safe to say that Bous is the ultimate Mongolian dish.
It might be easier to imagine if I described it as a larger version of Xiaolongbao.
During the Lunar New Year, it is customary for each household to make more than 1,000 bozes and serve them to guests.
As such, it was originally something eaten on celebratory occasions, but with the progress of modernization it has become something that can be eaten casually in restaurants and other establishments.
If you eat them at a cafeteria, they cost around 30 yen each.
The next dish I'd like to introduce is stir-fried lamb.
The photos above and below are of the same dish ordered at different restaurants.
The portions and presentation vary depending on the restaurant, but I personally think the strong flavor makes it a dish that's perfect for young people.
If you eat at a cafeteria, a meal costs around 300 to 500 yen, which is a little expensive for Mongolia.
(↑ This one is quite voluminous and greasy. LOL)
Finally, I'd like to introduce my favorite dish, Goulash!
This is a stewed lamb dish. It seems to have been introduced from Russia, and is available in most Mongolian restaurants.
The taste of this also varies greatly depending on the restaurant, and it can be salty or taste like beef stew.
I love beef stew, and at one point I was eating it almost every day.
This also costs around 300 to 500 yen per meal.
As a bonus, we will also introduce some Mongolian drinks.
The photo above is of a regular LIPTON that you can find anywhere, but in Mongolian restaurants, if you order tea it will be served like this.
I was surprised at first because it seemed a bit rough compared to Japan.
And this is a drink called "su te tsai," which literally means tea with milk.
It looks like milk tea, but it actually contains salt, so the strange taste can be a little confusing until you get used to it.
In Mongolia, this tea is such a popular drink that it is always the first thing served to guests at a home.
This concludes our introduction to Mongolian food culture.
The food culture is different from Japan, and meals are particularly meat-based, so sometimes I find myself craving fish, but the food is always delicious, so I definitely recommend visiting a Mongolian restaurant in Japan and enjoying the food.
Daiki Kawada