Rice-flour Dumpling Soup, commonly known as "Stretching Dough over Stones," can be made with either pork or lamb filling, mixed with cabbage, radish, and various seasonings, and traditionally wrapped into dumplings. The dish also features rice-flour flat beans, which are made into soft, chewy rice-flour cakes. These cakes are elastic and slightly translucent, and they hold up well without breaking even after prolonged boiling. To prepare the dish, first add sliced strips of the rice-flour cakes to a bubbling soup pot. Then, combine cooked dumplings and noodles from another pot and pour them all into the soup. Just before serving, season with salt, chopped scallions, vinegar, chili oil, and MSG. The flavor is sour, spicy, and delicious, providing warmth and helping to ward off the cold—making it especially suitable for people in cold regions and one of Alxa’s traditional delicacies.
Niangpi Zisun is one of the unique local snacks of Alxa, known for its delicious and refreshing taste, affordability, and convenience. As a type of “fast food,” it can be ready in just one or two minutes at a niangpi stall, making it very popular among locals. …
The people of all ethnic groups in Alxa have long had the custom of eating fried dough twists, and their frying technique has surprisingly surpassed others, reaching a level of excellence. The Hui people, in particular, excel at making them. During Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, or other festive occasions, in addition to frying oil cakes, they also make these twists. First, high-gluten flour is mixed with a small amount of light saltwater to form a fluff, then water is added to knead...
Rock candy-preserved Cynomorium Cynomorium, praised as the “fountain of youth” and also known as Suoyang, is mainly produced in western Inner Mongolia. Traditional Chinese medicine credits it with enhancing yang energy, enriching essence, nourishing muscles and bones, and moisturizing dryness while lubricating the intestines. It is used to treat conditions such as yang deficiency impotence, seminal emission, weak muscles and bones, soreness in the lower back and knees, and constipation due to intestinal dryness. Modern scientific research indicates that the active components in Cynomorium can act on…
Shamimi Mung Bean Jelly, a traditional, purely natural, and pollution-free delicacy from Minqin County, is made from wild desert rice (shami) sourced from the Tengger Desert and Badain Jaran Desert. The rice is soaked for 6–8 hours, then crushed using sun-sterilized wheat straw. The mixture is kneaded three times in a ceramic vessel to extract the juice, which is then gently heated over a low flame of grass and wood until it becomes a paste. The paste is poured into a ceramic container…
Aruqi Strange Stones: Inner Mongolia's Alxa League lies in the heart of the northern desert frontier of China, home to the Ulan Buh, Tengger, and Badain Jaran deserts. Especially in the vast Gobi Desert near Outer Mongolia in northern Alxa, where the wind is fierce and the land desolate, one can find ancient igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks, granite, and limestone, as well as Carboniferous strata containing fossils...
A traditional delicacy of Alxa. It uses tender lamb from Alxa sheep, diced into small cubes, then seasoned with a small amount of soy sauce and spices. Egg yolk, starch powder, and wheat flour are added, mixed thoroughly, and then the meat is deep-fried until golden brown. The fried meat is placed in a bowl, covered with meat broth, and flavored with soy sauce, scallion segments, Sichuan peppercorns, and star anise. It is steamed for about 20 minutes, then turned out onto a serving plate. …
Flavorful Meat Dish: Hand-Pulled Lamb Hand-pulled lamb is the most commonly used and favorite meal of grassland herders, as well as an essential dish when entertaining guests. Over time, it has become something of a notion that visiting the grasslands without trying hand-pulled lamb means you haven’t fully experienced the local food culture and charm—making the trip feel incomplete. For the herders, not serving hand-pulled lamb...
Mongolian Delicacy: Whole Lamb Dish The whole lamb dish, known in Mongolian as "Wucha" or "Xiusi," is the most beloved and prestigious dish among Mongolian people. It is only served during rituals, weddings, birthday celebrations for the elderly, or banquets to welcome relatives, friends, and distinguished guests. Its preparation and serving methods are both highly particular. The so-called whole lamb dish involves butchering the sheep according to bone joints, dividing it into seven major parts (excluding the breastbone), cooking it with the head and tail intact in a pot of cold water. Never add the meat to boiling water, as it will turn red when cooked that way. Once the water boils, add a small amount of salt. Carefully control the cooking heat — the meat should be taken out just as it is done. The resulting meat is not only tender and crisp but also delicious. If overcooked, it becomes tough and unpleasant to eat, often requiring recooking until soft enough to consume. When the meat is ready, arrange the limbs, the neck and shoulder blade of the lamb, and the head on a large plate in the posture of a lamb lying down. After presenting the whole lamb dish, as a gesture of respect, honored guests first use a Mongolian knife to make a cross-shaped cut on the back of the lamb. Then, the host cuts off about ten centimeters of fat from the thick tail, placing it in the guest’s right palm. The guest is expected to swallow the fat without chewing, accompanied by a sip of alcohol to soothe the throat. Only then can guests help themselves and fully enjoy the meal.
Alzuoqi milk tofu, known in Mongolian as "Hu Ruda," is a common dairy product in the homes of Mongolian herders. Its taste can be slightly sour or slightly sweet, with a rich milky aroma. Herders love it and often soak it in milk tea or take it as dried rations when traveling long distances—it quenches thirst and satisfies hunger. It can also be made into candied milk tofu, which is soft, chewy, and stringy…
Ejiao butter from E Zuqi. Butter is the essence of fresh milk, containing all the essential nutrients required by living organisms. It is the most precious and is served as a costly delicacy for honored guests or during major festivals. In ancient times, butter was referred to as “tihu.” During the Yuan Dynasty, tihu was listed as one of the “Eight Northern Delicacies” for imperial meals and regarded as a fine gourmet item. In the Tang Dynasty…
The Mongolian horsehead fiddle is a unique bowed string instrument of the Mongolian people. When the melodious tune of a horsehead fiddle plays in your ears, close your eyes and let your imagination wander—you might just find yourself envisioning the vast, open grasslands. This bowed string instrument is said to have been played on the Mongolian steppes as early as the time of Genghis Khan (1162–1227 AD)...
Cynomorium is a parasitic plant that grows on the roots of Nitraria. Nitraria thrives in the western Gobi Desert and sandy regions. The reproductive process of Cynomorium differs from that of most plants and closely resembles that of humans and animals. Around May and June, Cynomorium begins to emerge from the ground, and by July and August, it matures. The male and female parts on the same plant pollinate each other and produce seeds...
Mineral crystals that are non-metallic, have a Mohs hardness of 6 or above, exhibit vivid and pure colors, high transparency, and meet craftsmanship requirements are called gemstones, primarily used in jewelry. Known gemstone minerals in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region include rubies, sapphires, aquamarines, chrysoberyl, citrine, sky blue quartz, amethyst, rutilated quartz, red garnet, agate, and more…
Inner Mongolia is world-renowned for its high-quality materials, fine craftsmanship, and beautiful patterns. Its carpets are now sold in dozens of countries and regions. Wall hangings such as "Galloping Horses on the Grassland" and "The Great Wall" are remarkable works of art. Over a hundred types of antique-style export carpets, including "Six Blessings Holding a Longevity Peach" and "Fishermen and Woodcutters Reading at Night," attract customers with their delicate patterns and classic color schemes...
Inner Mongolia hazelnuts are produced in the secondary shrubbery belts of Hulunbuir League, Hinggan League, and Chifeng City in Inner Mongolia. They are a premium dried fruit that sells well both domestically and internationally. The nuts are crispy, fragrant, and delicious, rich in nutrition, and loved by people at home and abroad. The kernels can be used not only to make pastries, candies, and other foods, but also to produce hazelnut milk and hazelnut…
Black melon seeds, a type of dark-colored seed-like kernel commonly known as fighting melon seeds. The kernels are rich in nutrients such as protein, fat, vitamins, and starch, making them a common ingredient used in various pastries, mooncakes, and youcha noodles. Within the autonomous region, black melon seeds are produced in Tongliao City, Chifeng City, Hinggan League, Bayannur League, Baotou City, Ordos…
Camel's hoof tips refer to two oval-shaped fibrous tissues about the size of goose eggs located in the center of a camel's hoof. As they are the most mobile part of the camel’s body, the meat is exceptionally tender and elastic—softer than tendon yet similar in texture, and richer in fiber than camel hump. The cold mixed camel's hoof tips prepared from them are crisp, tender, smooth, and juicy, making them a rare and exquisite culinary delicacy.…
Desert Cistanche is an extremely rare and unique wild herbaceous plant that grows only in the Badain Jaran Desert of the Alxa region and the hinterland of the Tengger Desert in Inner Mongolia, China. It survives for decades without emerging from the ground in the arid, rain-scarce desert hinterland known as the "Sea of Death," enduring temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees and as high as 50 degrees Celsius...
Qidanzi is a well-known local noodle dish. The dough is prepared, then cut into strips or small pieces and deep-fried, making it suitable for long-term storage.…