Maria Erdnieva, About Kalmyk Cuisine

Abstract

Maria talks about Kalmyk dishes, including meat and milk-based ones. This is her story: In the past, we ate dried fish. A fish was boiled, cleaned of its bones and dried. It looked like mince. Dried yoghurt was made from what was left from distilling milk vodka. The leftover was dried and mixed with butter. Koortsg is a layer that forms on top of fresh milk. Khursn is a pancake made from yoghurt. Shuurmg is also made from yoghurt mixed with butter. In the past, people kept butter in a paunch. A paunch was first salted, dried and filled with butter. It did not absorb the butter. Bulmg is made as follows. First, heat butter, add flour and salty water. When a layer of butter emerges on top, this means that bulmg is ready. Traditionally, different members of the family eat different parts of sheep meat. Children eat the ears; men eat the eyes. When a cow was slaughtered, its meat was divided among neighbors. The meat was cut into long pieces and boiled in salty water. Some of it was dried for later consumption. Eedmg is what is left from distilling milk vodka. Eedmg is mixed with milk.