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Mongolian Desserts Worth a Try

The food reflects the culture and society of a nation. You can get a clear glimpse of the nation’s geography, culture, and customs of the nation. When talking about Mongolian cuisine or desserts, you will realize that the food mostly consists of dairy products and animal fats. Apart from that, Mongolian desserts are mostly void of fruits and vegetables, with an exception of apples. Also, poppy seeds are very commonly used in sweets.

The desserts are usually served post-dinner in a quintessential Mongolian family and usually made at home from the ingredients collected from the family farm. Since Mongolians are typically nomadic herders, their food choices mostly comprise of white (dairy products) or red (meat) menus.

Here are some of the popular Mongolian desserts –

1. Aaruul or Mongolian sour milk sweets

★ What is it? – A Mongolian hung curd made

The Mongolian desserts are commonly served post-dinner in a Mongolian home. While traditionally, Aaruul is a sour milk cheese, its sweeter versions are also available. Other variants of Aaruul, the xorxoi, and bazmal are different in appearance.

While most of the locals prefer eating bite-size pieces of aaruul for quick hunger pangs, others drink the slowly melted cheese block in water over conversations. Its taste mostly differs based on the primary ingredient (milk).

★ P.S: Different variants of aaruul can be found in almost every Central Asian country. In Iranian cuisines, it is referred to as Kashk and Jameed in Arabic.

2. Boortsog – cookies of Mongolia

★ What is it? – Fried dough similar to soft cookies

One of the popular holiday cookies, the Boortsog is a fried dough food served with sugar, jam, butter, or honey. The dough consists of all-purpose flour, milk, yeast, eggs, oil or butter, salt, and sugar. In Mongolia, the tea is usually preferred with this doughnut-like cookie.

★ P.S: Although a holiday cookie, nowadays you can find Boortsog in almost every season. It is a perfect gift to take along with you when visiting a local Mongolian family.

3. Mongolian Rice Pudding

★ What is it? – A rice pudding made with milk, sugar, and dry fruits

Among the Mongolian desserts, rice pudding is probably the perfect dessert for cold winter days. Made with fine quality rice boiled slowly in milk and almonds, giving it a thick texture. The pudding is usually served hot, post-dinner, and is enjoyed over hearty conversations.

★ P.S: Rice puddings are very common desserts found in Asian countries. While there are several theories on how this dessert reached Mongolia, most popular among them state the recipe came with the settlers who came here from other Central Asian counties.

4. Ul Boov – the cake that looks like a shoe

★ What is it? – Soft cakes that look like slippers

The Ul Boov is a popular dessert made from sheep fat, multipurpose flour, salt, sugar, and butter. Made especially during the Tsagaan Sar (the lunar new years of Mongolia). These cakes are soft and come with a soft center – giving them a melt in the mouth feel.

★ P.S: These cakes are usually the central decoration of Tsagaan Sar feast.

5. Gambir – the sugar dipped dessert

★ What is it? – Pancakes like dish cooked with lots of sugar and butter

These flour dough pancakes are slightly chewy but exceptionally tasty. Served with jam or marmalade, these are popular breakfast items made from the leftover dough. Usually, for toppings, poppy seeds are sprinkled.

Overall, the Mongolian desserts are simple to make but extraordinary to eat.