Food of Mongolia
Mongolian cooking is shaped by herding life on the grasslands, with mutton, beef, goat and dairy at the center of the table. Hearty, warming dishes are seasoned simply with salt, onion and garlic, and flour dumplings, noodles and fried pastries are staples. Dairy products such as aaruul, milk tea and creamy kefir-like drinks are everyday foods. Meals are generous, sociable and meant to give energy for long days and cold winters.
- Main dishes (10)
- Breakfast (4)
- Street food (2)
- Soups (3)
- Salads (3)
- Breads (3)
- Desserts and sweets (5)
- Drinks (4)
- Fruits and produce (5)
Staples
- mutton
- beef
- goat
- flour
- milk
- dairy
- potatoes
- carrots
Signature flavors
- salt
- onion
- garlic
- black pepper
- cumin
- caraway
Main dishes
Steamed dumplings with juicy minced meat.
Key ingredients: mutton, onion, flour, garlicFull guide →
Crisp fried pastries filled with seasoned meat.
Key ingredients: meat, onion, flourFull guide →Mutton skewers grilled over coals and seasoned with salt.
Key ingredients: mutton, salt
Small boiled dumplings, often served in milk tea.
Key ingredients: flour, meat, onion
Stir-fried noodles with meat and vegetables.
Key ingredients: noodles, mutton, carrots, cabbage
Mutton cooked with hot stones in a sealed pot or milk can.
Key ingredients: mutton, potatoes, carrots, onion, hot stones
Goat cooked with hot stones; a traditional nomadic dish.
Key ingredients: goat, hot stones, salt, pepperHomestyle noodle and meat stew with potatoes and carrots.
Key ingredients: mutton, noodles, carrots, potatoes
Fried rice with beef and vegetables.
Key ingredients: rice, beef, carrots, onions
Layered shortbread pastry served stacked at celebrations.
Key ingredients: flour, butter, sugarBreakfast
Salted milk tea, the daily drink of the steppe.
Key ingredients: tea, milk, salt, water
Dried curds with a sour, chewy bite.
Key ingredients: milk curds
Creamy fermented milk similar to yogurt.
Key ingredients: milk, cultureHard cheese curds dried in the sun.
Key ingredients: milkStreet food
Hot fried meat pies sold at festivals and markets.
Key ingredients: meat, doughFull guide →Milk tea soup with tiny dumplings.
Key ingredients: milk tea, dumplingsSoups
Simple broth with meat, noodles and potatoes.
Key ingredients: broth, noodles, potatoes
Hearty noodle soup with mutton, carrot and onion.
Key ingredients: mutton, noodles, onionPlain broth with beef, rice and carrot.
Key ingredients: beef, rice, carrotSalads
Grated carrot with garlic and oil.
Key ingredients: carrots, garlic, oilBeetroot and potato salad dressed with mayonnaise.
Key ingredients: beets, potatoes, mayonnaiseShredded cabbage with vinegar and oil.
Key ingredients: cabbage, vinegarBreads
Pan-fried flatbread served with soups.
Key ingredients: flour, oil, salt
Crunchy fried dough biscuits.
Key ingredients: flour, butter, sugar
Simple steamed bread served with stews.
Key ingredients: flour, yeastDesserts and sweets
Stacked sweet shortbread, decorated with curds.
Key ingredients: flour, butter, sugar, aaruulSweet fried biscuits served with tea.
Key ingredients: flour, sugarSweetened dried curds.
Key ingredients: milk, sugarMilk-based sweet bars.
Key ingredients: milk, sugar
Creamy milk ice cream enjoyed in summer.
Key ingredients: milk, cream, sugarDrinks
Salty milk tea.
Key ingredients: tea, milk, saltThick cultured milk drink.
Key ingredients: milk
Bright orange tangy juice.
Key ingredients: sea buckthorn berries, honey
Tangy fermented milk drink.
Key ingredients: milk, kefir grainsFruits and produce
Bright orange berry rich in vitamin C, used in juices and jams.
Key ingredients: juice, jam, tea
Wild strawberries and currants picked in summer.
Key ingredients: fresh, jam
Crisp apples from regional orchards.
Key ingredients: fresh, compote
Mild nuts collected in northern forests.
Key ingredients: fresh, snacks
Sweet summer melon enjoyed in late summer.
Key ingredients: freshDish guides from Mongolia
Explore Mongolia on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.More cuisines of Eastern Asia
Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.
- Buuz: Mizu_Basyo, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- MongoliaLastDay 153: Sivserver, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Bansh: LittleT889, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Cujwan: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Khorkhog: Vidor, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Boodog made from a marmot: Bogomolov.PL, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Koh Mak, Thailand, Fried rice with seafood, Thai fried rice: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mongolian biscuit Ul boov at World Heritage Cuisine Summit & Food Festival 2018: Satdeep Gill, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Tsai: user:takoradee, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Jameed: Syrinje, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Latte 025: Kagor, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Nabeyaku ramen (cropped): The original uploader was Hykw-a4 at Japanese Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Boortsog: Vidor, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- โต๊ะจีนหมั่นโถว: Aumrino970, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Vanilla Ice Cream Cone at Camp Manitoulin: Steven Depolo, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Hippophae rhamnoides-01 (xndr): No machine-readable author provided. Svdmolen assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Kefir in a glass: Quijote at Russian Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Berberis thunbergii berries: Petritap, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- 95apple: Agricultural Research Service (Research agent of United States Department of Agriculture), Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Pinoli: Quellenangabe und Beleg an burgkirsch(at)web.de erbeten., CC BY-SA 2.0 de (Wikimedia Commons)
- Taiwan 2009 Tainan City Organic Farm Watermelon FRD 7962: Fred Hsu (Wikipedia:User:Fred Hsu on en.wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
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