Mongolians, like their Scythian ancestors, are still fearlessly courageous and often extremely proficient archers but that does not mean that the Mongolian cuisine is primitive or in any way something to be sneered at.  History, too often, wrongly labelled the so-called Barbarians godless & without culture – in fact, the ancient Mongolians practised a form of shamanism (and were worshipping in this way already in 500 BC). Around the 12th century they became Buddhists – hardly godless and hardly without culture. Most Mongolian people in China live in Inner

Mongolia and in the Chinese provinces of Xinjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Qinghai, Hebei, Henan, Gansu and Yunnan. Because of the bitterly cold winters and the fact that they were traditionally nomadic herders on horseback, their diet is heavily animal-dependent and Mongolians eat mainly meat and dairy products. When the Russians withdrew aid to Mongolia in 1991, it was this tradition that basically kept them alive and their staple traditional diet of meat, milk and barley flour saw that them through this crisis (they do, however,  eat the cereals, fruit and vegetables that are native to Mongolia). Mongolians have been extraordinarily innovative in the use of milk and cream from cattle, sheep, goats as well as camels and (wait for it) horses. The dairy products commonly used in Mongolia and usually prepared for the winter and the spring are:

• Orom is the cream that forms on top of boiled milk;
• aaruul are dried curds and can be seen baking in the sun on top of gers in the summer;
• eetsgii is the dried cheese;
• airag is fermented milk of mares;
• tarag, is the sour yogurt;
• shar tos, melted butter from curds and orom, and
• tsagaan tos, boiled orom sometimes mixed with flour, natural fruits or eesgii.

The Mongolians prepare enough dairy products for the long winter and spring.

SIMPLE MONGOLIAN MARROW BEEF SOUP

Ingredients

• 2 kg beef marrow bones
• 1 kg shoulder of beef, cubed – you can use any beef suitable for a soup – the forequarter is preferable here
• 300 g carrots, peeled and sliced in thick chunks
• 500 g onions, quartered and then thickly sliced
• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• 10 allspice berries
• 5 large cloves garlic, peeled – just pop them into the soup as is
• 3 large chillies, finely chopped – if you have a sensitive palate, remove the seeds
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste – remember the heat of the chillies
• Some udon noodles, cooked and kept warm

Method

• Boil the marrow bones in about 2 litres of water for an hour, skim the top.
• Add the beef, the spices, the garlic and the chilli and simmer for an another hour, then skim again to remove the fat.
• Add onions and the carrots and simmer for twenty minutes, check and correct the seasoning, add the noodles and serve – this is a large recipe.
• Stir to combine, replace cover and cook 5 minutes more.

Mongolia isn’t, strictly speaking, part of China any more but it was part of it for so long that we’re including it anyway – firstly because there are so many Mongolians in China and secondly because their food is so much part of the Chinese culture that it would be foolish to exclude it. In 1206 the Mongol Empire (the Yuan Dynasty) – a nation of nomads on horseback – was founded by Temüjin who called himself Genghis Khan after that – of Scythian ancestry and rumoured, by historians like Rashid-Ad-Din, Ab hu-l-Gazi and Gunther to have blue-green eyes, red or blonde hair and be of fair complexion. This is quite understandable given the fact that Mongolia stretched, in it’s heyday, from Poland in the west to Korea in the east and from Siberia in the north to Vietnam in the south – certainly quite a bit of Nordic blood there.  Before we continue, here’s a really interesting recipe for a Mongolian snack.

MONGOLIAN FRIED PEANUTS

Ingredients

• 500 g raw, red-skinned peanuts
• 2  tbsp Sichuan brown peppercorns
• 2 tbsp star anise
• 2 tbsp coarse salt
• 1 tsp water
• 600 ml cups water
• 1 liter of fresh corn or peanut oil

Method

• Place the peppercorns, the star anise, the salt, the sugar and the water in a medium sized saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, stir and then reduce heat to maintain steady simmer.
• Close the pot well, simmer for 5 minutes and then add the peanuts, stirring well to combine everything and then – put on the lid again and simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Turn off heat and allow the peanuts to steep in the covered pot for 10-12 hours.
• Drain nuts in a colander and pat them dry.
• Spread out in a large baking tray, lined with triple thickness of baking parchment and discard the star anise.
• Bake at 200 C for 30 minutes, shaking the tray occasionally.
• Rotate tray and reduce heat to 180 C – now check the nuts at 10-15 minute intervals until all the nuts are almost entirely dry with just a touch of moisture at the center.
• Remove them from the oven and put them in a bowl to cool.
• They can now  be eaten as is or they can be fried as follows:
• Have ready a tray lined with a double thickness of paper towels, a Chinese mesh spoon,  a very large piece of absorbent food paper and about ½  tsp coarse sea salt.
• Heat a wok or deep skillet over moderate heat until hot, add the oil until warm, reduce the heat to low and then add the peanuts to theoil – they will will hardly bubble.
• Fry them for 4-7 minutes until they are golden brown, stirring constantly and slowly – don’t let them brown.
• Scoop the peanuts from the oil and spread out on towel lined tray.
• Shake the tray to blot up the excess oil, pour nuts into a paper bag, close the bag and shake it to blot up the last oil, add salt to taste and gently shake again.
• Eat immediately or when cool as an hors d’oeuvre or placed in small bowls on the table.

The Mongolians had to adapt to a variety of cultures and the influence of this on Mongolian food was tremendous and this was due, in no small measure, to the diviersity of climates in their own land, the diversity of cultures and the constant influence of these cultures upon one another. Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan’s (image above) grandson (who established the Yuan dynasty) made present day Beijing his capital but in 1368 the Mongolians were evicted by the the Ming Dynasty who sent them packing, also destroying their capital city Karakorum and all but obliterating any sign of progress made by them up to that stage – they were right back where they started and found themselves in a sea of anarchy and with the tribes as blood thirsty as ever –  until, in the 16th and 17th centuries, Mongolia discovered  Tibetan Buddhism and were incorporated into the lands ruled by the Qing Dynasty. Then the Russians invaded and trounced them in 1911 but the Mongolians never really changed and the Scythian blood that flow through their veins ensured that they always remained true to themselves, belonging to no-one but Mongolia. The Masters of the Grasslands only became independent again in 1992 and at this time, their cuisine was internationally acknowledged as strictly Mongolian. In Inner Mongolia and many of the places in China where the majority of Mongolians now live, there is little rain and lots of dry steppe and the people need to produce as many foods as possible in irrigated fields. What is interesting, is that they eat only some of the foods they grow and prefer to grow grains to feed their animals (like the Scythians, their horses are very important to them) rather than for themselves – they don’t cultivate or eat many vegetables.

They mostly live in permanent yurts (that can be huge and often very modern with many conveniences) as opposed to the Tibetans who move their yurts from grazing area to grazing area, as and when needed. Mongolian yurts aren’t moved, but remain permanently where first placed. These yurts are covered with many layers of felt – hence the nickname, the Felt Tent People. Men and women wear a colourful outer Mongolian robe known as the meng pao which is closed with silk sash that, unlike the Scottish kilt that varies from family to family, usually varies from region to region. Ghengis Kahn did a lot of good during his rule and introduced many new foods and nutritional information to the Han Chinese – going so far as publishing a book known as the Essentials of Dietics in 1330 (the Yin-shan Cheng-yao) where they discussed game as a staple of the diet and reports that antelope, bear, deer, leopard, marmot, pheasant, crane and swan, and tigers were consumed. It also reports that some of these animals or some of the parts of them were used only for their medicinal value. This book also advises about the value of and frequent use of milk and milk products.

EASY MONGOLIAN BEEF

Ingredients

• 500 g rump steak, thinly sliced crosswise
• 100 g of Maizena (corn starch)
• 1 generous tsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves  garlic, crushed and finely diced
• 1 large lemon, grated zest only
• 125 ml water
• 125 ml light soya sauce
• 125 ml dark soya sauce
• 150 ml dark brown sugar, normally packed
• 1 flat tsp fresh red chillies, finely chopped
• 3 large spring onions, sliced
• 2 flat tbsp vegetable oil
• Basmati rice to serve

Method

• Ensure that the slices of meat are dry by patting them with a paper towel and then slice them into strips – when finished, sprinkle over the cornstarch.
• Put the slices in a sieve and shake off any excess corn starch.
• Start to steam the rice while you prepare the rest of the meal.
• Heat half of the oil in a large wok on medium-high heat –  add the garlic and the ginger, swirl and then immediately add the soya sauces, the water, the brown sugar, the chilli and the lemon zest, stir-fry the sauce for about 2 minutes and transfer to a bowl.
• Don’t fret if the sauce doesn’t look thick enough at this point because the Maizena (corn starch) in the beef will thicken it up later.
• Put the meat in the same pan and stir-fry until everything is well browned – it takes a few minutes.
• the sauce back into the wok and allow it to cook along with the meat.
• Should you prefer a thicker sauce, you can cook a little longer to reduce the sauce or you could leave it as is.
• Add the spring onions at the last minute to keep the crispy and green.

Mongolians eat loads of dairy products and prefer their buttermilk (kumys) thin, their cream thick and their butter as much as possible . One of the Mongolian peculiarities is that they still drink mare’s milk daily and use it in important ceremonial roles. The Han Chinese considered the Mongolians barbaric because of the diary products they ate but, despite this, the Mongolians did influence the Han cuisine and things like fermented milk is not only available but also popular in the rest of China today.  Furthermore, during the period when the Great Wall of China was being built, the clever Emperor Kangxi persuaded the Mongols to help and during this time the food of both cultures intermingled with one another and peace reigned – today Mongolians eat red food which includes all five meat types – sheep, goats and beef and lamb and camel which is reserved for special occasions. The white (chaganyide) food is considered pure and noble and consists of the diary products and is usually served first at most celebrations when the guest is obliged to eat it first.

Mongolians eat with their hands – whether they’re eating solid or soft food and they drink buttermilk with their meals. Most food is served with millet (the chief carbohydrate), or buckwheat or oats. Rice isn’t eaten in great quantities nor is wheat flour. Barley is enjoyed but often also eaten in much the same way as we westerners eat popcorn  - the kernels are roasted over a hot fire and stirred until they pop.

MONGOLIAN BARBECUED MUTTON SANDWHICHES Ingredients

• 1 kg lamb shoulder, removed from the bone and cut into long thin strip
• 3 tbs light soya sauce
• 3 tbsp dark soya sauce
• 3 tbsp rice wine
• 2 lemons, grated zest only (this isn’t authentic but it’s worth it)
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed and finely chopped
• 3 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rosemary, leaves only chopped roughly
• 1 bunch spring onions, cut into 2 cm lengths pieces
• 250 ml coriander leaves (pull each leaf off the stem individually)
• 7 large eggs
• 5 tbsp vegetable or canola oil (lamb fat is the authentic thing to use here – but will kill most westerners)
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Sesame rolls

Method

• Combine the lamb, the soya sauces, the rice wine, the garlic, the rosemary, the zest and the oil and refrigerate for 6 – 7 hours.
• Place the  spring onions, the fresh coriander leaves, the eggs, and vegetable oil into four separate bowls.
• Heat a griddle pan until very hot and then spread some oil on to the griddle, immediately followed by a small ladle of the meat mixture.
• As soon as the meat is crispyand brown, break an egg over it and stir it in to form a rough patty.
• Immediately put a few pieces of spring onions and a few coriander leaves on top of it – using a spatula, put this on the bottom half of the bun and cover with the top of the bun.
• Enjoy.

The Mongolian weddings are a feast to behold: first the bride and then the groom eat white foods and then the guests enjoy a sumptuous meal of roasted lamb provided (as in western cultures) by the bride’s father but the grooms father will pay for a whole sheep to be roasted – in other words, meat on top  of meat on top of meat … whilst many of the traditional wedding habits have nothing to do with food, there is one that is interesting enough to warrant mentioning.

Before the wedding, the couple go to the outside of their bridal chamber before any celebrations begin, they circle it three times on horseback, propose a toast to each of the invited elders, kneel down and wash their hands with water provided by these same elders and then continue the celebrations. The really important wedding guests are each served a whole roasted leg of meat and the rest of the guests have to be satisfied with enormous portions like half of a whole rib or half of a belly and then a three day celebration will continue. The bride and the groom will feast on the fat from the tail of the sheep, cooked until it’s chewy – this delicacy is also served on other important festival days. Roasted lamb is called Xuersunhaoni and served after each person is given some milk tea and some crispy skin with sliced spring onions,  thick gravy and a Lotus Leaf Cake. After the wedding and more common than herbs and hangover medication are foods like Barbecued Lamb Sandwiches (recipe above) or a the Beef Soup, also featured above.