Mongolian Lunch - 1/26/2008

We had a wonderful day today. Sue’s classmate Hao Xing invited us to a traditional Mongolian Lunch in a Mongolian Hut next to the Horse Racing Field. According to Jenny’s paper work, she was found on the street near the Horse Racing Field. It makes more meaningful to visit the place. We were also joined by another Sue’s school mate from College who is a history major and has recently just translated a book about Mongolian History.

The Mongolian Hut is a model of the real Hut in the Glassland. It is not made of felt as the real one, but made of clay. Inside the Hut, it has a table in the center instead of just floor as the real hut. Surrounding the table, there is a circular brick bench which is heated by the smoke generated from a stove outside of the hut. The lunch started with milk tea – a traditional Mongolian Beverage. It tastes just like tea with milk. Then we were severed with many kinds of milk products like cheese – not a typical Chinese food, but a typical Mongolian food. In a short time, the table was filled with all kinds of food, like lamb steamed dumplings, meatball soup, beef jerky and some other food items that we even don’t know the name.

Near the end of the lunch, three musicians came to play and sing traditional Mongolian songs for us. At the end of each song, the guest was offered a cup of liquor. It is not polite or even insult to refuse the drink. It is also a tradition to do this three times. So Bert and Sue each had to drink three cups of liquor for each of the songs they sang for us. They are beautiful songs. The lunch could have lasted longer but we need to catch a plane to Guangzhou.

We took some pictures outside for Jenny so we can remember this place.