7 Bizarre Mongol Foods We Couldn't Stomach Today

As the feared Mongol hordes swept across Asia and Europe, these nomadic warriors had to consume whatever food sources were available on the harsh steppes and during long sieges. This resulted in some incredibly bizarre and unappetizing dishes that would likely turn modern stomachs. Here are 7 of the strangest foods eaten by Mongol nomads:

7. Fermented Mare's Milk

The humble horses that gave the Mongols their military might also provided a key part of their diet - fermented mare's milk called airag. This alcoholic beverage was produced by fermenting mare's milk in animal hide sacks carried by Mongol families.

With a sour, slightly fizzy taste, airag was prized for its nutritional value and its ability to quench thirst on long rides across the steppes. Genghis Khan himself was said to be fond of this unusual dairy drink. While its taste was an acquired one, airag provided an important source of calories, protein, and probiotics for the nomads.

6. Boiled Horse Blood Pudding

The Mongols wasted no part of the animals they consumed - even drinking their horses' blood. Blood was simmered and combined with a thickener like milk or cereal to create a nutrient-rich blood pudding or sausage called khazi.

This iron-rich treat sustained Mongol warriors on long campaigns. While drinking warm animal blood fresh from the vein was not unusual, the khazi pudding represented a more palatable version that could be cooked and stored. Blood sausages are still enjoyed in Mongolia today as a way to utilize every part of the animal.

5. Curdled Milk Cheese

Another food born from the Mongols' dairy-centric diet was the fermented milk cheese known as aaruul. Fresh or dried milk curds were repeatedly kneaded and dry-cured into a firm, long-lasting yogurt cheese that could travel with the nomads.

With a distinctive, sour and salty tang, aaruul packed nutritious fats and proteins into a compact, preserved form. Smoked or air-dried versions could be stored for months as a shelf-stable food for long journeys. The labor-intensive process involved constantly kneading the curds under the Mongolian sun until they formed a solid, yogurt-like cheese.

4. Marmot Meat

When vegetation was scarce on the steppes, hearty Mongol hunters turned to wildlife for sustenance. Ground squirrels known as marmots were a prized source of fatty meat, with their whole bodies boiled, fried, or smoked over fires.

Consuming nutria-like rodents may seem bizarre today, but fresh or preserved marmot could make the difference between starvation and survival for the nomadic Mongols. Their diet flexibly adapted to whatever protein sources could be found on the grasslands, especially the abundant ground squirrel. Marmot fat was also prized to slather on bread in lieu of butter.

3. Salted Meat Air Sundries

With no modern refrigeration, Mongols learned to preserve meats by wind- and sun-drying them into leathery biltong or jerky sheets known as khurkhur or mahkhur. Chunks of meat would be salted, threaded on wooden racks, and cured by the arid winds until completely dehydrated.

These tough, salty meat planks were a convenient travel ration that could be consumed for months without spoiling. When boiled, the sun-cured meat could reconstitute into a hearty stew or be ground into meal. While chewy and palate-scorchingly salty, it was an ingenious way to stockpile protein for Mongol warriors on the move.

2. Dried Curd Cheese

Even by dairy standards, Mongol aarul cheese sounds unappetizing. This crumbly, dry-cured white cheese was made by ripening and dehydrating salted milk curds into a rock-hard, edible brick that could keep for years.

The flavor was intense and salty - perfect for perking up bland trail foods but less than appetizing on its own. Still, this astringent aarul cheese represented another brilliant Mongol method to preserve the nutrients of milk products in an ultra-shelf-stable form for their nomadic lifestyle.

1. Boiled Lamb's Head

At feasts and celebrations, wealthy Mongols dined on boiled lamb's head, boiling the severed heads until the meat fell off the skull bones in a rich, fatty broth. Every part was consumed, with the tongue and brain considered delicacies.

While unglamorous, this dish showcased the nomads' resourcefulness and zero-waste attitude. Lovingly preparing and sharing a steaming lamb's head was a display of hospitality - even if the gelatinous eyes and rendered brains were an acquired taste! For special occasions, no part of the valuable food animal went to waste.

In the harsh environments they conquered, the Mongols subsisted on some truly bizarre and unappetizing foods out of necessity. From fermented mare's milk to sun-cured meat planks, their nomadic diet celebrated frugal preservation and complete use of every food source available on the grasslands and during campaigns. Acquiring a taste for these "delicacies" was a matter of survival for the fearsome Mongol warriors.