Milk Culture of North Asia

Abstract

The systematic study of milk processing techniques in North Asia was begun by Umesao Tadao, who advocated the need to understand the whole picture of milk processing as a system: “It is impossible to have a good understanding of Mongol milk products without knowing how they are connected in milk processing”. Umesao’s concept of the milk processing system began in Mongolia, and following Umesao, many Japanese researchers have reported on the milk processing systems of Mongolia. Here, I will examine the details of milk processing systems in central Mongolia and the eastern part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. From my own research and studies in the literature, I will then compare individual cases to clarify the regional diversity in milk processing techniques within North Asia. While presenting a picture of North Asian milk culture, these analyses also reveal a continuity in milk processing technology between West Asia and North Asia.