The majority of Mongolians are meat-loving people. When I cook food for my Mongolian family they are often surprised that it doesn't have meat AND that they like it! At one of my parties, I made minestrone soup and my guests commented that it would be perfect if it only had meat. ha. Another thing many Mongolians love is fat. Chunks of fat can be found in most Mongolian dishes. Babies suck and gnaw on it like a teething toy and adults joyously consume it. I constantly feel bad because, without fail, I have left food on my plate- a little mound of fat chunks. Mama raised me to eat all of my food, but she also didn't raise me to eat fat. Dogs must love me at least. They get all of my fat leftovers! I just can't bring myself to enjoy it...or even tolerantly eat it.
The importance of eating meat, including fat, surely comes not only from enjoyment but from its health benefits during very cold winters. It is very interesting to hear Mongolians talk about the health benefits of various foods. To a Westerner, they can sound odd but I'm sure they have deep roots and truth in survival. All milk products are seen as healthy- good for your body and some being especially good for your teeth. The hard yogurt candy, aarul, is seen as beneficial to teeth and I'm sure in one way or another it may be. I think it is a bit funny though because it is as hard as a rock. As long as you don't break your teeth on it, I'm sure it is good for you!
As with any stereotype, there are exceptions. I recently made a new friend. Her name is Azjargal which means Luck Happiness. She and her family invited me over a couple of days after New Year's. I was blown away because unlike other homes I have visited, they had prepared a vegetarian meal, including vegan chocolate cake. It turns out her entire family is vegetarian. It is one thing to hear someone from the capital city of Ulaanbaatar is a vegetarian and quite another to hear it from a town resident. When I asked Azjargal why she had become a vegetarian, she replied, "Because I want to save the Earth. I want to be green." My mouth just stood open for a moment until I gained composure.
Mongolia has certainly pushed me to consider vegetarianism more than I would have ever imagined. Vegetarian volunteers who came to Mongolia were warned that they may have a difficult time in the country because of the prominence of meat and the lack of vegetables. I am very fortunate to live in a big enough town where I can find a variety of fruits and vegetables. Some volunteers can't find eggs or vegetables other than potatoes and onions in their town. I hardly ever cook meat in my home. At home I probably cook meat once a month and the only time I eat meat is at restaurants or at other people's homes.
Having to buy meat is what has lead to this slight change in diet also. I have never been in such close contact with what I eat. Animals ride with us in the back of trucks to the countryside "baa-ing" and silently come back in stomachs. Some even return in parts- sliding from side to side on the car dashboard. When I go to buy meat, dead fleshy animals hang from racks- their red, pink and sometimes purplish parts are spread on tables. Their disconnected heads stare at me and in the second I accidentally meet their eyes, they tell me, "Go buy an egg at least!"
At the same time the meat here is truly organic and animals are treated with respect. All of the animal is used in some way. If there is anywhere you can feel at ease eating meat it is here in Mongolia. No hormones. No scary factories reminiscent of "The Jungle". Becoming a vegetarian is something I see for myself in the future though I'm not quite there yet. I feel like I need to selfishly indulge in the foods I have been missing in America and then I can make that next step. Once I have exotic American vegetables such as zucchini and asparagus this should be easy!
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