Mongolian food on the road: what to eat and how to order

Mongolian cuisine is built on meat, dairy and flour — food made for long winters and hard work. On a fishing trip you will eat it every day, so it pays to know what you are ordering.

Dishes to try

• Buuz: steamed dumplings filled with mutton or beef.
• Khuushuur: fried, flat meat pastries — the classic Naadam snack.
• Tsuivan: stir-fried hand-cut noodles with meat and vegetables.
• Khorkhog: meat cooked with hot stones in a sealed pot, a feast for special occasions.

Drinks

Suutei tsai is salty milk tea, served everywhere. Airag is fermented mare’s milk, mildly alcoholic and offered to guests in summer — try at least a sip.

For vegetarians

Vegetarian options are limited outside the capital. Tell your guide in advance and bring some supplies of your own.

Cover photo: Brücke-Osteuropa, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons