Airag or Fermented Horse Milk

Airag, fermented from Mongolian mares, is special because of its nutritious and medical values. Mare’s milk varies in its composition of vitamins (vitamins B1, B2, Br, Pt, C) protein, carbohydrate and fat due to the distinction of the composition and quality of the grass and plant of the areas. Airag is widely used to cure lung and respiratory diseases, tuberculosis, to activate the digestion, and to improve the overall strength of a person.

Airag is served to the guests at the beginning of a celebration or feast. The best part of airag is offered to the nature and sprinkled over head and hindquarters of winner horses in the race. Airag is fermented with the help of yeast. It is put in a wooden bucket with mare’s milk. Then it is put in the sun and ladled up thousands of times. The prepared yeast is poured into khukhuur /a leather bag/ with milk which is also ladled up more than 6000 times to have it fermented.

The children living in countryside ladles the airag that becomes some kind of exercise for their muscle. They like to compete with each other, how many times one can ladle.