Buuz ( mn, Бууз; /''Buuza'', ,

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

: 包子/Baozi) is 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 have ...

dumpling Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources), oftentimes wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, fi ...

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 ( mn, Цагаан сар, ''Cagán sar'' / , or literally White Moon),, ; xal, Цаһан сар, ''Cahan sar'', ; tyv, Шагаа is the first day of the year according to th ...

, the Lunar New Year. These days it is also offered at restaurants and small cafes throughout the capital city of

Ulaanbaatar Ulaanbaatar (; mn, Улаанбаатар, , "Red Hero"), previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. It is the coldest capital city in the world, on average. The municipality is located in north ce ...

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. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, as ''

baozi Baozi (), Pao-tsih or 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 steamed. They are a variation of '' m ...

'' () 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'' (Mongolian tea) and

vodka Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuritie ...

Ingredients and preparation

Buuz are filled with minced

lamb and mutton Lamb, hogget, and mutton, generically sheep meat, are the meat of domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries''. A sheep in its first year is a lamb and its meat is also lamb. The meat from sheep in their second year is hogget. Older sheep meat is mutton. Gen ...

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...

, which is flavoured with onion and/or garlic and salted. Occasionally, they are flavoured with sprouted fennel seeds and other seasonal herbs. Mashed potato, cabbage, or rice may be added as well. 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 and 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 Khuushuur ( mn, хуушууp ; ; rus, чебуре́к, cheburek, t͡ɕɪbʊˈrʲek) is a meat pastry or dumpling popular in Mongolia that is relatively similar to similar items in Russian and other cuisines like chiburekki. The meat, beef, m ...

; 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