What A Traditional Breakfast Looks Like In Mongolia

Find yourself in a major city like Ulaanbaatar or Erdenet in Mongolia, and you'll have a range of food items to choose from for breakfast. In more remote areas, however, a more traditional spread of foods can be found. We hate to break it to the vegan and lactose intolerant, but these breakfast menus are typically heavy on dairy. When winds are cold and the climate is demanding, it can help to have a bit of meat on your own bones and plenty of energy to get through the day, so kitchens in yurts are stocked with calorically dense items, many of which are fried. 

Homemade clotted cream is smeared onto bread and deep-fried dough, and warm cups of milky tea are generously poured. A deep-fried dough known as Boortsog can be eaten alone or with butters, creams, and yogurts. Yogurt can be made from cattle, yak, goat, or sheep milk and can be topped with berries and fruit or eaten simply without added ingredients. For those who haven't had their fill of milk and milk products, dried curd called aaruul is made from yogurt or milk that has been placed to rest in daylight for several days. It can be flavored with sea buckthorn juice or wild blueberry for a touch of sweetness.

Tea lovers will feel right at home in Mongolia, where an assortment of ingredients can be used to make tea. Some of the teas can be so dense and nourishing that a serving can replace an actual meal. Depending on where you land in the country, tea can be made with sheep fat, white rice, meat like beef or mutton can be added to tea recipes, or various herbs and plants can be simmered in brews of black tea. Milk tea known as suutei tsia can be made with toasted millet and green tea or blue barley and powdered sea salt. It isn't uncommon for butter to be added to either brew. 

Butter can be made from yak's milk or cow's milk, or you may be presented with a fermented drink known as Airag, made from mare's milk. Should you be after something more substantial, meals served later in the day often include Mongolian beef, noodles, and vegetables, so you can keep your cravings at bay until the next meal is offered. If these spreads aren't to your fancy, you can head back to the capital city to find more Western-designed menus filled with bacon and beans to appease morning cravings.