Mongolian cuisine is shaped almost entirely by the country’s nomadic herding culture, with meat and dairy from the “Five Snouts” — horses, yaks, camels, goats, and sheep — forming the backbone of nearly every traditional dish. From steamed dumplings to a dramatic hot-stone barbecue, here are ten dishes that define how Mongolians have eaten for centuries.
1. Buuz (Бууз)
Buuz is a popular Mongolian dumpling typically made with mutton or beef, and while the dish traces its roots to the Chinese Baozi, the Mongolian version has developed its own distinct recipe and character. It can be filled with any type of meat combined with fat — ideally sheep tail fat — flavored with salt, onion, and occasionally cumin. Buuz is the primary dish of the Mongolian Lunar New Year and is frequently served during holidays and daily throughout the country, and because it’s cooked by steaming, it’s considered gentle on the stomach even for travelers unaccustomed to the cuisine.
2. Khuushuur (Хуушуур)
Khuushuur is a meat-filled deep-fried pancake, flavored with salt and onion, with the taste varying depending on the specific ingredients used. It’s the main dish of Naadam, Mongolia’s national summer holiday, and one of the most widely eaten dishes across the country. Vegetarian versions also exist, filled with carrots, cabbage, potato, and mushroom instead of meat.
3. Khorkhog (Хорхог)
Khorkhog is more than just a dish — it’s an experience, prepared with hot stones that, along with lamb, carrots, and potatoes, are slowly cooked in an airtight container until everything is tender and full of flavor. It’s often shared during special gatherings, and the result is tender, smoky, and deeply flavorful. When traveling to the Mongolian countryside, khorkhog is the dish visitors most often request.
4. Tsuivan (Цуйван)
Tsuivan is a hearty noodle stew with lamb, carrots, and onions, often considered the best all-around dish to eat in Mongolia since it combines all the elements of traditional cuisine in one bowl. The dough is rolled into a round flat sheet, cut into strips about 0.4 cm wide, then steamed over the meat and vegetables simmering below before everything is tossed together to mix. If you ask a Mongolian about their favorite meal, the answer is very often tsuivan — rich, fatty, and served in generous portions.
5. Guriltai Shul (Гурилтай Шөл)
Guriltai Shul is a noodle soup prepared with mutton or beef, potatoes, onions, carrots, turnips, stock, oil, and flat noodles. It’s a hearty, comforting dish featuring fried noodles and juicy marinated meat, and a typical everyday meal found throughout Mongolia.
6. Bansh (Банш)
Bansh are smaller dumplings than buuz, boiled or steamed, and can be eaten on their own or served in soup. Smaller and lighter than buuz, they’re a common meal at nomadic family tables, offering a softer, more delicate version of the classic Mongolian dumpling.
7. Airag (Айраг)
Airag is fermented horse milk, slightly sour and lightly alcoholic, offered as a welcome drink in many rural homes, especially during summer. To make it, mare’s milk is placed into a sheep stomach, pounded vigorously with a stick for about an hour to encourage fermentation, then left to sit for three to four hours. Guests aren’t expected to drink the whole bowl, making it an accessible, if adventurous, taste of nomadic tradition.
8. Boortsog (Боорцог)
Boortsog is a traditional fried dough pastry, commonly served alongside milk tea or as an accompaniment to other dishes during holidays and everyday meals — a staple sweet-and-savory snack found in nearly every Mongolian household, particularly around celebrations like Tsagaan Sar (Lunar New Year).
9. Suutei Tsai (Сүүтэй цай)
Suutei tsai is Mongolia’s traditional milk tea, and it accompanies nearly every meal and social gathering across the country. It’s typically made by brewing tea with milk, salt, and sometimes a bit of butter or fat, producing a savory rather than sweet beverage that reflects the same dairy-heavy foundation running through Mongolian cuisine more broadly.
10. Mantuu (Манту)
Mantuu is a straightforward dish of rolled, steamed dough, prepared the same way as buuz — flour, water, and salt — then cooked for about 20 minutes. It’s typically eaten as a side dish, often alongside vegetable soups like Nogootei Shul, and its simplicity makes it a common daily staple rather than a special-occasion food.
Why Meat and Dairy Dominate
Meat and milk from livestock, along with their fat, play a prominent role in traditional Mongolian food, since eating fat specifically helps nomadic Mongolians endure the region’s harsh winters. Seasonal variation shapes what’s eaten too — dairy products are most commonly consumed in summer and autumn, while more meat is eaten in winter and spring to provide the calories and protein needed to withstand the colder months. This function-first approach to eating, shaped by centuries of nomadic life on the steppe, is what gives Mongolian cuisine its distinctly hearty, high-fat, protein-forward character compared to its neighbors.
Join The Discussion
Which of these dishes are you most curious to try — the dramatic hot-stone cooking of khorkhog, the dumplings of buuz and bansh, or the more adventurous fermented airag? Have you traveled to Mongolia and experienced any of these dishes firsthand, whether in Ulaanbaatar or out in the countryside? Share your experiences, favorite dishes, or questions about Mongolian cuisine below.
