Buuz (; ; , ) are a type of Mongolian

steamed Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. This is often done with a food steamer, a kitchen appliance made specifically to cook food with steam, but food can also be steamed in a wok. In the American Southwest, steam pits used for cooking ha ...

dumpling Dumplings are a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of cooked dough (made from a variety of starchy sources), often wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, wheat or other flours, or potatoes, and it may be filled wi ...

filled with meat. An example of authentic Mongolian and Buryatian cuisine, the dish is traditionally eaten at home during

Tsagaan Sar The Mongolian Lunar New Year, commonly known as Tsagaan Sar ( , or literally White Moon), is the first day of the year according to the Mongolian lunisolar calendar. The festival of the Lunar New Year is celebrated by Mongolic and some T ...

, the Lunar New Year. In modern times it is also offered at restaurants and small cafes ("guanz") throughout the capital city of

Ulaanbaatar Ulaanbaatar is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities in Mongolia, most populous city of Mongolia. It has a population of 1.6 million, and it is the coldest capital city in the world by average yearly temperature. The municipa ...

History and function

Buuz is the Mongolian version of the steamed dumpling which is commonly found throughout the region. Etymologically, it reveals its origin to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, as ''

baozi Baozi (), or simply bao, is a type of yeast-leavened filled bun in various Chinese cuisines. There are many variations in fillings (meat or vegetarian) and preparations, though the buns are most often steaming, steamed. They are a variation of ...

'' () is the

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

word for steamed dumpling. They are eaten in great quantities throughout the year but especially during the Mongolian New Year celebrations, which usually fall in February. ''Buuz'' are prepared in the weeks before and left outside to freeze; they are consumed with salads and fried bread, accompanied by ''

suutei tsai Suutei tsai ( ) is a traditional Mongolian beverage. The drink is also known as süütei tsai, tsutai tsai, salt tea, or Mongolian salty tea. Preparation The ingredients to suutei tsai are typically water, milk, tea leaves and salt. A simple ...

'' (Mongolian tea) and

vodka Vodka ( ; is a clear distilled beverage, distilled alcoholic beverage. Its varieties originated in Poland and Russia. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings. Traditionally, it is ...

. Niislel salad (Mongolian: Нийслэл салат), a variant of Olivier potato salad, is particularly popular, being almost ubiquitous among banquets and formal meals in Mongolian households.

Ingredients and preparation

Buuz are filled with minced

lamb and mutton Lamb and mutton, collectively sheep meat (or sheepmeat) is one of the most common meats around the world, taken from the domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries'', and generally divided into lamb, from sheep in their first year, hogget, from sheep in thei ...

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...

, which is flavored with onion and/or garlic and salted. Occasionally, they are flavored with sprouted fennel seeds and other seasonal herbs. Mashed potato, cabbage, or rice may be added as well. In more affluent families, particularly within urban areas, carrots and various other vegetables are also common additions. Occasionally, condiments such as

soy sauce Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''A ...

and Chinsu are added for further flavoring. The meat ball is then placed inside a small pocket of dough which is folded around the ball with a small opening at the top to prevent bursting due to steam formation, in the chef's own personal style. The buuz is then steamed and eaten by hand, with the dough pocket catching the juices of the meat. The filling in buuz is similar to another Mongolian dumpling, khuushuur; however, the latter is fried.

References

External links

Buuz
recipe from mongolfood.info {{Dumplings Mongolian cuisine Buryat cuisine Tuvan cuisine Kalmyk cuisine Altai cuisine Dumplings National dishes Steamed foods

History and function

Ingredients and preparation

See also

References

External links