The "9 Nines"

As much as I try, I can no longer deny winter has arrived here in Choibalsan. Every morning Bambuul wakes me up at between 5 and 6am for breakfast and to do her morning business. This morning, for the heck of it, I looked up the temperature. Bad idea.



Yeah, "Feels Like -28°" is pretty dang cold for November 20th. Brrrr! And it's only gonna get colder...

In traditional Mongolian belief there are 81 days of winter based on the lunar calendar and starting on Winter Solstice. Those 81 days are broken down into the "9 Nines," a set of markers to know what stage of winter you're currently in:

First Nine – Airag (fermented mare's milk) freezes
Second Nine – Vodka freezes (meaning Russian vodka freezes)
Third Nine – Tail of a three-year-old yak freezes
Fourth Nine – Horns of a four-year-old yak freeze
Fifth Nine – Boiled rice does not congeal anymore
Sixth Nine – Roads blacken (meaning snow melts on paved roads)
Seventh Nine – Hillsides blacken (meaning snow melts on the hillsides)
Eighth Nine - Ground becomes damp (meaning snow melts on the grass)
Ninth Nine – Warm days set in

I knew it would be cold here, and I wasn't too worried since Minnesota has more than its fair share of sub-zero temps and bitterly cold wind chills. But I forgot one key cultural difference: In the states, you DRIVE everywhere, spending mere moments outside in the arctic air. In Mongolia, you WALK everywhere. To say I'm dreading the 15-20 minute one-way walk to work in the frigid depths of January is an understatement. Luckily, there's a cab stand just a couple "blocks" from my apartment. I have a feeling I'll be patronizing them frequently this winter. Winter: Oh yanna!

Thanks Grandma!

Bambuul loves her new chew toy!






Thank you!

MOHГOЛ XOOЛ Part Deux

See what I did there? Even though I took French ages ago, it's been slipping back in. Whenever I can't think of the word I need in Mongolian but I know it in French, the French pops out. I did it all summer, and I'm still doing it. I've actually spoken sentences combining English, French and Mongolian. Crazy!

Anyway, on to the point of this post. Another Mongolian food recipe! This time, tonight's dinner: БУУЗ (pronounced "boats"), a steamed dumpling. Traditionally they'd be filled with mutton and onion, but my host sister taught me how to make veggie buuz this summer.


Make dough (flour and water) and let rest while finely chopping carrot, cabbage, onion and garlic. Season with a hint of salt.


Roll out the dough into a long tube, about 1 inch in diameter. Cut into 1 inch rounds.


Roll out into rounds (er, round-ish).


Fill with filling and pinch shut. No water or egg required unless your dough has started to dry. If you're making meat buuz, fill with a mixture of raw meat and onion.


My buuz, ready for the steamer. They aren't nearly as pretty as Mongolians can make 'em, but hey, I haven't had years of practice.


Steam (covered) for 20-30 minutes, until the veggies are soft and the dough is cooked (you can see the dough change color and texture).


Et voila! The finished buuz. I enjoy mine with some good ol' American condiments; not entirely authentic. I eat the other half of the batch the next day, as pot stickers (meaning I pan fry them so the bottoms are crispy but the tops are still soft. Delicious!)

AMEPИK XOOЛ

I've gotten some care packages in the last two weeks, and all I can say is THANK YOU! You have no idea how wonderful (see: kid on Christmas morning) getting a care package is. Especially when it includes...Amerik khool (American food)! I got a box of DOTS, one of my top 5 favorite candies, which I polished off on the way home from the post office. Ha! And instant meal kits are a life-saver on my 12-hour days. But you all know I love to cook, so it's the arrival of herbs and spices that's really fantastic. This last week I've had cinnamon-sugar toast, peanut butter toast and Craisins kash for breakfast; chipotle mayo dip w/ veggies, "fajitas" and french toast for brunch/lunches; Indian couscous, miso soup and tonight: chili for dinners! Yum!


Cinnamon = French Toast


Chili Powder + Cumin = "Fajitas" (Seasoned peppers, onions and garlic; seasoned rice; and now with a fully functional can opener, refried beans.)


Chili powder + Cumin + Cayenne = Chili (Made in the rice cooker because I don't have a crock pot; corn also courtesy of my awesome new can opener.)

I should also mention that one of those packages included two pairs of jeans that are TWO sizes smaller than I wore in the States. They fit just about perfect! Just a smidge too big, which is WONDERFUL! Unintended byproduct of this experience for sure, but certainly a welcome one.

Bambuul's First Snow

It's been snowing for just about two hours now and already there are 3 inches of fluff on the ground. Bambuul bounced and frolicked around playfully in it. She definitely loves the snow!





Update: It's about 11pm, it's been snowing for about 4.5 hours now. There's easily a foot of snow and it's still coming down.


Mom! Let me play!


Up to her chest (and Mom's mid-calves).


Mmm, snow tastes good!


Yippee! Mom let me off-leash! (Cuz we're the only beings crazy enough to be outside!)


Running furiously back to Mom.


Whoop! Gotta stop and sniff/face plant!

Oh yes, there's video too:


PS - Current nicknames include BamBam, BB, Bams, Bamers, Baby Girl and "NOT ON THE FLOOR! Ugh..."

MOHГOЛ XOOЛ

After my last post about food, I was asked if I ever eat any "Mongolian food." I don't really. Not at home anyway. When we do our weekly Friday dinner, I sometimes get veggie khuushuur (a mashed potato/carrot/green onion mixture in a fried pocket) or veggie buuz (steamed dumplings with shredded cabbage, carrot and onion), but for the most part, it's just too much a pain to make for one. That being said, I was CRAVING some veggie tsuivan so I took a crack at it Saturday night. It turned out pretty damn good. And just so you know, any food you get State-side that claims to be Mongolian isn't. Not unless it's meat soup, meat khuushuur, meat buuz or meat tsuivan. If there's any kind of sauce, seafood, or non-root vegetables, it's NOT Mongolian. HuHot is a (delicious) lie!


First, make your dough (just flour and water) and let rest while you chop your veggies (and meat if desired). I used carrot, potato, cabbage, onion and garlic.


Next roll out your dough. If you've never made noodles before, sorry, it's a feel thing, you just gotta know.


Then slather your dough in oil and fold it onto itself.


Slice the dough into strips.


Pull the strips apart a bit.


Now start your veggies over low heat. Probably the meat too.


When the "hard" (carrot, potato, onion) veggies are starting to soften, add the "soft" (cabbage, garlic) veggies.


After just a couple minutes, add enough water to cover the veggies and turn up the heat. The seasoning is Mongolian "Universal" seasoning, which kinda tastes like Ramen seasoning.


When the liquid is reduced by about half, drop the heat to a low simmer and add the noodles to the top. Cover and finish cooking 'til all the liquid is gone and the noodles are done (not chewy).


The delicious finished product. Yum!

ГAP БϴMБϴГ

Wrestling is supposedly the Mongolian national sport. I beg to differ. Mongolia has a hardcore love affair with volleyball. All ages and abilities play all the time and they play for keeps. This isn't your summer rec league, and this sure as hell isn't a "loser buys the pitchers" league. They play hard, and they take it seriously. I love it. For the last two weeks my teachers and I have been cancelling classes and staying after school to practice for yesterday's aimag-wide tournament. We didn't do so well, us girls going 2&4 and the guys going 4&2, but we sure had fun! The next tournament is in January. I can't wait!


Shine Hogjil Men's Team


Goin' up for a big hit!


He killed it!


Shine Hogjil Women's Team


I don't remember what was so funny, but I love this picture!