Full Guide to Hulunbuir Snacks_Special Local Delicacies in Hulunbuir Introduction

One of the world's four great grasslands, Hulunbuir Grassland within Hulunbuir City, is known as the best grassland in the world.

Features Delicacies Include: Mongolian hand-cut mutton, tea drinks, new right white milk tofu, Russian bread, siew mai, Mongolian cheese, red-braised cow's head, five-spiced silkworm pupae, fried lamb tail, braised beef with red wine beef, wild,pork, stewed cabbage, beautiful white shrimp,mutton, and.

cheese

Introduction

Milk cheese, known as "hulu da" in Mongolian, is a common dairy product in the households of Mongol herdsmen. Made from milk, sheep's milk, mare's milk, etc., after condensation and fermentation, it resembles ordinary tofu in shape. Some have a slightly sour taste while others are slightly sweet; it has a rich aroma of milk, which herders often enjoy eating by soaking it in yak butter tea, or carrying it as dry food for long journeys, quenching thirst and satisfying hunger. It can also be made into threaded milk cheese, a delicate and chewy treat served at banquets.

Milk cheese generally refers to what we commonly call cheese, or milk cake. Completely dried milk cheese is called milk lump.Traditional milk cheese preparation can be challenging, but simpler yet tasty methods have also been developed. PreparationTraditional cooked milk cheese method

Leave the remaining whey from boiled milk skin or the curd left after extracting ghee for a few days until it ferments.

When the whey or curd solidifies into blocks, use a cheesecloth to filter out excess moisture.

Then cook the solid portion in a pot over low heat, stirring constantly until it reaches a sticky consistency. Then transfer it into a cheesecloth and squeeze out the yellowish liquid. At this point, you can mold it or place it on a wooden plate and cut it into various shapes with a knife. Traditional raw milk cheese methodFerment fresh milk until it becomes sour, then pour it into a pot to boil. The whey will solidify into old-fashioned tofu shape.

Then press out the moisture in a cheesecloth and mold it into form.

Hand-cut meatIntroduction

Hand-cut meat is one of the red foods.

Mongolian people call meat "ulaan iide," meaning "red food" in Mongolian. The name implies that hand-cut meat, literally hand-picked lamb, is a traditional food and staple meal for herdsmen.

The preparation involves cutting bone-in lamb into chunks, placing them in a large pot without adding salt or other seasonings, and cooking with the original broth until fully cooked. Eaten by tearing off pieces of meat from the bones using one hand while holding a Mongolian knife to cut with another. Seasoned condiments are used for flavoring. It is usually consumed as dinner. Not experiencing at least one meal of hand-cut meat when touring the grasslands means you haven't fully enjoyed the culinary culture and fun of the grassland. PreparationIngredients: bone-in lamb, auxiliaries: milk, celery, carrot,

ginger,

cumin,fennel, pepper powder,salt, MSG,vinegar, soy sauce,chili oil, sesame oil . Cooking steps: 1. Cut bone-in lamb into two-inch wide five-inch long pieces, soak in water, cut ginger and celery into fine pieces, and slice carrots for later use; 2. In a small bowl, mix the chopped ginger and celery with soy sauce, vinegar, MSG, pepper powder, salt, sesame oil, add some water to make a mixture; 3. Place the lamb in a pot of boiling water, skim off any foam after it boils, then add prepared ginger segments, garlic slices, carrot slices, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, and milk before covering with a lid and cooking on low heat until the meat is tender. Add salt and MSG when removing from heat, then remove the meat to a dish and serve with the seasoned sauce. Mongolian sausage Introduction Mongolian people usually stuff sheep's blood into large intestines to make sausages.When eaten, they are typically simmered in broth for 10-15 minutes. Sausages can be categorized as small intestine, fatty intestine, and stomach, among others. Small intestine, also known as fine intestine or coiled intestine, is made by mixing sheep's blood with flour, hence its name blood sausage.Vinegar,Soy Sauce Chili Oil Sesame Oil Preparation Method: 1. Chop the meat with bones into two-inch by five-inch pieces, soak them in clear water, and mince the scallions, ginger, and celery. Carrot

Cut them into thick slices for later use;Radicchio 2. Take a small bowl, mix the minced scallion and ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, chicken essence, pepper powder, salt, sesame oil with some water to form a sauce;2 Take a small bowl and mix together minced scallions, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, chicken essence, pepper powder, salt, and sesame oil with a little water to create a marinade;3. Pour water into a pot, add the soaked meat, and cook it over high heat until foam appears, then remove the foam.Boil Add prepared scallion pieces, ginger slices, carrot slices, star anise, fennel seeds, Sichuan pepper, and milk. Cover the pot and switch to low heat until the meat is tender. Season with salt and chicken essence before serving. Remove the meat from the pot and serve in a dish, dip in the prepared sauce when eating.

Mongolian Blood Sausage

Introduction

The Mongolian people typically stuff sheep's blood into large intestines to make blood sausage.Blood is injected into Intestine Cut them into thick slices for later use;when eating, it is typically cooked in meat broth for 10-15 minutes. It can be divided into several types such as small intestine, fat intestine, and small stomach.

Small intestine is also called thin intestine, coil intestine or blood sausage. The small intestine is usually obtained from They are made from a mixture of sheep's blood and flour. Therefore, it gets the name blood sausage. stirred,Preparation Made primarily with flour, maltose syrup, sugar powder, and plant oil. Its shape resembles a thick rope coiled up, hence it is also called Pan Chang.

Intestine is also known as large intestine or meat intestine. Meat intestine gets its name from the stuffing inside. Because of its thickness and straightness, fatty intestine can be stuffed with blood paste and meat paste. Fatty intestine stuffed with meat paste is called meat intestine.

The stuffing methods for these intestines are similar. After slaughtering the sheep, wash the intestines thoroughly with salt water. Nomadic people generally do not use soap or other modern cleaning products to clean the intestines. After washing, cut and separate the small intestine and fatty intestine, then mix the blood from the sheep's abdomen with cornmeal or rice flour, break up the clotted blood by hand, add salt and chopped scallions as seasonings, and inject it through the intestinal opening.

Intestines cannot be cooked with lamb meat; they need to be cooked separately. While cooking, prepare a fine wooden skewer. Keep pricking until the intestine stops bleeding and the skewer shows a cooked color. The cooked small intestine resembles an outstretched turtle lying down. Mongolians do not serve whole cooked small intestines to guests as it is said to bring bad luck. Therefore, they are typically thinly sliced before being served on the table.

The texture of stuffed intestines depends on the quality of the blood paste prepared and the skill of the housewife, serving as a sign of culinary prowess in the pastoral region.

Method

1. Stuffed Small Intestine

Stuffing usually takes place on freshly slaughtered sheep skin. Because the skin is smooth, the intestines are less likely to break. It often requires two people to work together. The small intestine connects with the cecum (also known as bitter intestine), which then connects to the fatty intestine. Cut off the fatty intestine and fill it with water from the cut end, using the large intestine as a natural funnel. Once full, one person continuously applies pressure while another rolls the small intestine, expelling feces into a container of wastewater. Repeat this process until the small intestine is mostly cleaned. Insert a piece of lung into the small intestine, add water and squeeze out, rinse it twice or more before stuffing. The blood from the sheep's abdomen, which fills the intestine precisely, will be used for stuffing.

Before stuffing, break up any clotted blood with your hands, mix it with cornmeal or rice flour, chopped fat meat, salt, seasonings, and finely chopped scallions and garlic. Inject from the cut end, ensuring neither too full nor too flat. The small intestine is about 2-3 meters long. It can be divided into four to five sections for easier cooking without removing the connecting fat layer outside. During stuffing, pay attention to keeping it straight and avoid twisting. When cooked, it will coil up like its natural state in the body. In times of excess small intestines from slaughtering, they can be frozen in several portions until the Qingming Festival for cooking.2. Stuffed Fatty Intestine

Cut off where the thin fatty intestine connects to the thick one, leaving only the fatty intestine.

Pour water through this opening and clean it thoroughly. Cut the top loin, flower meat, and thin fatty intestine into similar lengths as the fatty intestine. Add salt, seasonings, scallions, etc., from the thinner end and stuff them in while turning inside out (inside on the outside).

3. Stuffed Small Dung

The section between the sacral bladder and small intestine is called water bladder. To distinguish it from the large intestine connected to the red meat, it's called small intestine. Leave a bit of the small intestine (about three feet) where it connects to the sacral bladder. Cut off from its connection with the sacral bladder, empty out the feces and rinse several times. Turn inside out only at the point connecting to the small intestine. From the cut end, inject the blood paste and fill up but not fully. Insert a chopstick to seal the opening. Only the small intestine part will stick out when turned over, while the rest is drawn out with a "∞" shape, tying off with the chopstick for immediate or spring-time cooking. When cooked, the small intestine shrinks in size. With its folds on top, it resembles a turtle carrying a load.

Mongolian Hand-pulled Meat

Description

As implied by the name, it's hand-pulled mutton. Remove boneless lamb meat into pieces according to joints and cook in an unseasoned pot over high heat until fully cooked. Serve with sesame salt. Guests should not pick at their choice; hosts will serve different parts of lamb based on guests' ages. Historical Culture

Hand-pulled mutton is a traditional food among nomadic Mongols, Evenks, Daur, and Oroqens for centuries.

It signifies eating meat by hand. It can be made from various meats such as sheep, cattle, horses, camels, or wild game, but usually refers to lamb. This traditional method of preparing mutton is beloved and frequently used among the Mongolian people. Records in Ming Dynasty texts suggest that it was practiced for millennia: "Meat should be half-cooked as it's more satisfying and nourishing when partially cooked."PreparationHand-pulled mutton typically uses two-year-old sheep slaughtered with a traditional method to ensure the meat is tender. Cut the lamb into pieces, place them in a pot of water without salt or seasoning. Cook over high heat until boiling, then serve immediately after cooking.”

Currently, hand-pulled mutton may be further processed by dividing it or adding seasonings like salt, vinegar, star anise,

cumin, monosodium glutamate (MSG), chili oil , ginger and scallions to enhance the flavor. Mudanpi Full Fish Banquet Introduction Fish from Lake Hulunburi, such as Lu fish,crucian carp and white fish, are rich in protein, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, and various vitamins.

Using fresh fish and shrimp from the lake, over 120 types of dishes can be prepared to form a full fish banquet.

These dishes are tender and flavorful, satisfying year-round.

The nutrition is abundant while tasting delicious. Dishes range in quantity: 12, 14, 20, or 24 on one table, or even more than 100.Notable dishes include carp leaping over the dragon gate,Two dragons playing with pearls, Three offerings of carp, homestyle crucian carp stew, plum blossom carp,

fish in a soy sauce stew, squirrel carp, lotus flower carp, pan-fried white fish, grape carp, scallion-flavored carp, golden lion carp, braised shredded fish, tomato fish slices, twin carp scrolls, sachet carp, stir-fried white fish, raw shrimp salad, and more.Historical Culture Many poets have left verses about the full fish banquet: "I hear of Lake Hulunburi's fame in fish banquets. Plum blossoms decorate the table, pine trees lie on the plates."Steamed Fish in Hot Water Clear Steamed Silver-edged Fish,Grape Fish, Fish with Chives, Golden Lion Carp, Common Carp Crispy Fish Tomato Fish Slices, Fish Rolls, Steamed Carp, Fried Braised White Fish, Boiled Shrimp, Boiled Fish Slices, etc.

Cultural and Historical Background

Many scholars have left verses about the full fish banquet: "Long heard of Hulun Lake, its fish banquets remain famous. Plums in bloom on the table, pines lying on the plate. Carp presented as three sacrifices, playing with pearls, martial-second dragon. Alone pitying the clear stewed beauty, fresh and tender, intoxicated by autumn wind."Here it truly holds: Vast lakes and mountains with billowing smoke, first in the world for fish flavor.""Paddling on the lake, quietly observing birds flying and fish leaping, is indeed a delightful matter."

"Hulunbuir Mutton"

"Introduction"

"The mutton from Hulunbuir is hailed as the king of meat, boasting vibrant coloration, high protein content, low fat, high lean meat ratio, fresh taste, tender texture, juicy flavor, and no gamey odor.""Lean meat""ratio is high."

"Hulunbuir grassland is located in the central Asian Mongolian Plateau. It's a famous plateau pasture in the world. The pasture consists of perennial forage with no pollution and rich nutrients, resulting in mutton without any gamey odor, tender and delicious meat quality."

"One significant reason why Hulunbuir mutton has no gamey odor is that during spring, summer, and autumn, sheep are not confined but roam freely on the meadows, avoiding the situation where indoor confinement leads to a buildup of fecal odors that can enter the sheep's body through their skin."

"The method of slaughtering involves using the chest extraction technique instead of the common throat cutting. This ensures all blood flows into the chest cavity and mutton, maintaining its freshness, tenderness, and nutrient content without loss."

"Unlike in inland regions, Hulunbuir mutton is cooked by boiling pieces with joints attached in a clear water pot, no salt or additional seasonings added, using high heat to preserve the original flavor of the meat.""Once the meat changes color and has only slight traces of blood, it's removed from the pot. Placed on a dish, it remains fresh without any gamey odor, making it irresistibly delicious."

"Zhaozishan Roasted Chicken"

"Introduction"

"Zhaozishan roasted chicken is a traditional delicacy from Wulate Left Banner in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region with nearly a century of history. It is one of the three famous chickens in China, renowned for its large size, plump body, fresh taste, and tender meat.""Selecting hens weighing over 1000 grams, clean them thoroughly, then boil them with water, bay leaf, fennel, dried ginger, fresh ginger, star anise, cloves, cardamom, grain amarotica, sand ginger, cinnamon, and white peony. Cook until half done before removing."

"Then place the chicken in a smoking pot using wood chips and sugar syrup. Smoke it until the meat turns red and shiny, then remove when fully cooked, giving it a unique taste and texture.""History"

"The production and processing of Zhaozishan roasted chicken trace back to about 100 years ago."

"Locally, chickens are large and tender. In the early 1900s, people started selling them as boiled chickens around towns and railway stations.""Initially, only a few families in Zhaozishan made these boiled chickens, but they were simple to make with average taste, failing to gain much recognition.""However, when roasted chicken emerged, it gradually became more popular through competition. Boiled chickens started losing market share due to their simpler preparation and less appealing flavors.""Among various workshops in Zhaozishan, the renowned master Liu Xiwan from Tianjin established a well-known roasting chicken shop early in the 1930s."

"Combining the best of Hebei's roast chickens and local boiled chickens, they developed the unique technique for Zhaozishan roasted chicken: red color, tender meat, and rich flavor. It is both visually appealing and delicious to taste.""Recipe"

"Ingredients: 100 chickens, salt 1-1.5 kg, fennel 50 g, dried ginger 50 g, cinnamon 50 g, cloves 10 g, cardamom 10 g, star anise 10 g, white peony 10 g, sand ginger 10 g, meat cubeb 10 g, sugared syrup for flavoring. Use birch wood shavings as smoking material.""Preparation: Choose healthy chickens over one kilogram in weight; slaughter and clean them well. Place in clear water for 2-3 hours, then remove excess moisture."

"Shape the chicken by folding the feet into the belly cavity and securing the wings. Arrange on a pot and add seasonings and old chicken broth. Boil rapidly for half an hour, then simmer for two hours (longer for older chickens)."

"Smoke in a hot smoking pot with sugar syrup and birch shavings. Once golden, remove and apply oil or flavoring before packaging."

"Butter Puff Pastry""Introduction""Butter puff pastry is a traditional Mongolian snack named after its method of preparation—cutting it by hand. It's simple yet practical, reflecting the straightforward nature of rural folk."

"Start with mixing flour and sugar syrup to form a dough. Add oil paste on top and roll into strips. Cut into 4 mm thick pieces, then arrange on baking trays for roasting until golden brown."

"Resembling ancient Mongolian architecture or traditional embroidery patterns in appearance, it showcases distinct ethnic characteristics."

"The production is simple yet intricate. Although the ingredients are inexpensive, the process requires precision and skill."

"History""Originally used as a tea snack, butters were served alongside other treats during tea time among nomads and settlers alike.""Empress Dowager Cixi, before becoming the Empress, lived in Hohhot. Her fondness for these snacks led her to request their preparation even after becoming imperial favor, but they always fell short of her memories from youth.""Preparation""Ingredients: flour, syrup, sugar powder, vegetable oil. Mix sugar syrup and powdered sugar with the dough. Fold in a layer of oil paste, roll into a long strip, cut into 4 mm thick slices, place on baking trays, then roast until golden brown."

"The finished product is golden, sweet, and flaky."

"Hand Cut Meat""Introduction"

"Hand cut meat, or 'hand-held' meat, is a traditional dish among the Mongolian, Evenki, Daur, and Oroqen nomadic peoples of Hulunbuir. It involves hand-cutting pieces from live animals."

"Typically made with lamb, but other meats like beef, horse, or camels can be used, though most often it refers to lamb."

"This dish is beloved by Mongolians as a cherished and commonly consumed traditional food for centuries.""Historical Background""According to ancient records, half-cooked meat was favored due to its ability to satisfy hunger while nourishing the body. This practice traces back millennia in nomadic cultures."

"Preparation Method""Select young lambs from pastures and use traditional 'heart extraction' slaughter method for maximum tenderness. Cut into small portions, cook without salt or other seasonings using high heat until cooked through. Serve with a mix of salt, pepper, vinegar, spices, and condiments.""The meat remains tender and flavorful when eaten raw.""Rye Bread"

"Introduction"

"Rye bread is an Eastern European specialty imported to Russia, then spread to other regions including northern China. Large loaves are popular due to their distinctive taste and texture.""These large rye loaves can reach a diameter of 1 foot (about 30 cm) and weigh up to 4 kg, comparable in size to a small basketball. The exterior is crusty with an internal structure that's soft and sweet yet slightly sour.""The best way to enjoy this bread is by slicing it and serving with butter or soup.""Preparation""Ingredients: flour, hops, salt. Mix the dough with yeast from fermented rye flour, then let it rise before baking in a large oven using local hardwood like birch or aspen for a traditional taste."

Mix flour, maltose syrup, and water to form a dough skin.

Let it rest until ready. Wrap the dough skin around sweetened pastry filling rolled into a long strip. Spread oil on top, roll into a half-circle shape, cut into appropriate thickness slices, place them on a baking tray, and bake in an oven until done. The finished product is browned, sweet, and crispy.after being properly rested, wrapped with sugar oil paste and rolled out into a long sheet, spread with oil, rolled into half-circular strips, cut into appropriate thickness, placed on a baking tray, and then Hand-pulled Meat IntroductionHand-pulled meat is a traditional food among the nomadic and hunting Mongolian, Evenki, Daur, and Oroqen ethnic groups in the Hulunbuir Grassland for thousands of years. It refers to eating meat with hands.

Lamb, beef, horse, camel, and wild game can be used to prepare hand-pulled meat. However, it is usually referred to as lamb hand-pulled meat.

Hand-pulled meat has been the favorite traditional food of Mongolians for a long time.

This traditional method of eating in pastoral areas can be traced back to ancient times. According to "Yi Su Ji" from the Ming Dynasty, "Meat should be half-cooked because it is more satisfying and nourishing when partially cooked."Mutton, beef, horse, camel, or other livestock can be used to prepare hand-grab meat, but the term "hand-grab meat" is most commonly associated with hand-grab mutton. PreparationHand-pulled meat typically uses two-year-old sheep raised in pastures. The traditional "heart removal method" of slaughtering is used to ensure the meat is tender. After slaughtering, cut the whole lamb into pieces and cook them in a clear water pot without adding salt or other seasonings. Cook over high heat until boiling, then remove from the pot and serve immediately with sesame salt for dipping. The meat is fresh and retains its original taste.”

However, modern versions often further process the large pieces of meat, dividing them into smaller portions before adding salt powder, rice vinegar, Sichuan pepper, star anise, MSG, chili oil, ginger threads, and scallions for additional flavors while maintaining their tenderness.

When making "hand-grab meat," young goats raised on grasslands are usually selected and slaughtered using traditional methods such as the "heart extraction method." This method ensures that the meat is exceptionally tender due to the sudden cardiac contraction of the goat. BreadIntroduction

"Bread" is the Russian translation. It is a distinctive European-style food.

In Harbin, many food names still use Russian translations; small Russian bread is called "Sach," and dry bread is named "Subuli."

Large bread can be as large as one foot in diameter (33 cm), weighing three to four kilograms, roughly the size of a half basketball. The exterior is hard while the interior is sweet with a slight tanginess.Bread It tastes best when eaten with butter and Soubotva soup. In Harbin, many food names are derived from Russian translations; small Russian-style bread is called "Shak," and hard bread is known as "Sukley."

PreparationLarge bread primarily uses flour, hops, and salt as ingredients.Traditionally, Russian methods involve fermenting the dough with yeast made from hops. Add an appropriate amount of salt, then bake it in a large vertical oven using hard woods like birch or oak from Northeastern forests until crispy on the outside and soft inside. Salty and flaky, it can be stored for up to one week in summer and about one month in winter.

Preparation method

Dagulab is primarily made with flour, hops, and salt. The traditional Russian baking process involves fermenting dough with yeast produced from hops, adding an appropriate amount of salt, placing it in a large vertical oven and roasting with hard woods such as birch or alder from Northeastern forests. It is crispy and fluffy, with a salty taste. A freshly baked big loaf can be stored for about one week during summer and up to one month during winter.