Ethnic fermented foods and beverages of Mongolia

Abstract

Mongolians prepare a variety of products from the milk of their livestock through traditional methods. Milk beverages are a large share of this heritage that has been passed down. This chapter contains information and research results about the milk beverages that Mongolians produce from livestock. Mongolian’s geography in the Central Asian plateau, its climate conditions, and the animal husbandry context are compiled in this chapter. The author has tried to include more information about fermented milk products that have been fermented with lactic acid bacteria and other microorganisms with the help of starter cultures. This method has been passed down by generations of Mongolians. In this chapter, research results from local Mongolian livestock milk products are introduced, and later on the fermentation technology of using starter cultures to make tarag, fermented mares’ milk or fermented camels’ milk, is introduced. The milk of cattle, sheep, and goats is fermented to make tarag (similar to yogurt), mares’ milk is fermented to brew a slightly alcoholic beverage, camels’ milk is fermented to make hoormog, and cattle’s milk is fermented to make a beverage. In addition to this, research results of fermented beverages prepared by Mongolian herders through traditional methods and their components of microorganisms, that is, lactic acid bacteria, are presented. The technology and equipment used by Mongolians to prepare fermented milk are presented with photographs.