By Kiku Beaufort
This week, a trip to central Asia tantalizes taste buds. Nasanjargal 'Nasa' Lkhagyasuren, 21, a pre-nursing major from Mongolia, shares a family recipe for a traditional Mongolian dish.
By learning how to cook with her parents, Nasa began her childhood just as any other Mongolian was expected.
The ability to cook is vital in Mongolian culture because of the nomadic nature of the people, Nasa said.
Historically, each Mongolian family raised about 500-700 animals: camels, horses, cows, sheep and goats. These herds were the main food supply because of the inability to reside in one area for periods of time to plant and raise crops.
'Meat, meat, meat,' said James Davis, 25, a communications major who served a mission in Mongolia. 'They love meat. You have to think of Mongolians as nomadic people. They didn''t grow things. They lived off the animals and the dairy they produced.'
Although traditionally few fruits and vegetables were included in the Mongolian diet, this is changing with time, Nasa said.
'Most of the fruit you see in Mongolia comes in from China,' said Esther Michela, a 25-year-old special education major who served a mission in Mongolia from 2003 to 2004. 'There are a lot of vegetables available now, like broccoli, but it''s not native to them, so they don''t know how to use it and cook with it.'
The main staples in a Mongolian recipe include meat, potatoes, onions, cabbage, carrots, flour, salt and sometimes pepper, Michela said.
These ingredients do not allow for much variation so, interestingly, fancy restaurants in Mongolia serve either Russian or American cuisine.
What is perceived as Mongolian food in America is not the same as any authentic Mongolian cuisine, Nasa said. This is why Nasa shares a traditional dish from her homeland.
Homemade Mongolian Noodles and Vegetables
* 1 cup water
* 2 1/2 cups flour
* 1 carrot
* 1/4 head cabbage
* 1/2 medium white onion
* 3 green onion stalks
* Bell pepper (optional)
* Chicken or beef
* Salt to taste
* Vegetable oil
1. In a large bowl combine water and flour. Knead with hands until smooth, adding flour if dough is sticky. Cover and let rest.
2. While dough rests, julienne chop vegetables and meat.
3. Pour 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add chopped meat and vegetables, and cook on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add salt to taste. Turn to low heat, cover and let simmer.
4. Return to dough, knead gently and roll into a thin rectangle. Brush oil on top of dough to reduce sticking.
5. Fold dough on itself every inch, using a knife to cut the dough after three folds. Continue folding until complete.
6. From one end of the folded dough, cut through the layers of dough, making noodles about 1/8 inch wide.
7. Add 1 cup of water to the cooked vegetables. Add noodles on top of vegetables. Do not mix together. Cover, raise temperature to medium and let steam for 10 minutes.
8. Before serving, use a fork to separate noodles. Mix in vegetables and serve. For a modern Mongolian taste, flavor with ketchup.