Indulgences

1. Айраг

   Airag

   Airag (fermented mare's milk)

   Usage

   Milk — usually mare's — soured with a starter. It is tart, lightly fizzy and mildly alcoholic, at its peak around the summer Naadam, and passed round the ger in a large bowl (airgiin khul). Take it with the right or both hands and drink at least a sip before handing it back; start small if you are not used to it

2. Архи

   Arkhi

   Arkhi (spirits, vodka)

   Usage

   An intoxicating drink distilled from milk, grain or fruit juice; in shops today it effectively means vodka. Note that beer is not arkhi but shar airag

3. Монгол архи

   Mongol arkhi

   Mongol arkhi (spirit distilled from soured milk)

   Usage

   A spirit distilled from soured milk or yoghurt — made traditionally over the stove with a coiled condenser, and a different thing from commercial vodka. The same drink is also called nermel arkhi, "distilled spirit"

4. Шимийн архи

   Shimiin arkhi

   Shimiin arkhi (spirit distilled from airag)

   Usage

   The Mongolian national spirit distilled from livestock-milk airag. It is lower in strength and keeps a milky aroma; in the countryside you may be offered a home-made one

5. Шар айраг

   Shar airag

   Beer

   Usage

   An intoxicating drink fermented mainly from barley (also wheat, maize or rice) and flavoured with hops. It literally reads "yellow airag" but has nothing to do with mare's milk

6. Дарс

   Dars

   Wine

   Usage

   A drink made by long fermentation, usually of grapes or grain. Mongolia does not grow wine grapes, so what is on the shelf is imported

7. Улаан дарс

   Ulaan dars

   Red wine

   Usage

   Wine (dars) of a red fruit colour.

8. Цагаан дарс

   Tsagaan dars

   White wine

   Usage

   Clear fruit wine (dars).

9. Тамхи

   Tamkhi

   Tobacco / cigarettes

   Usage

   It means the tobacco plant, or its leaf dried and processed for smoking or sniffing. The verb is tamkhi tatakh, literally "to pull tobacco"

   Grammar Note

   Note: khar tamkhi reads as "black tobacco" but it means narcotics derived from the poppy. Do not use it when talking about cigarette brands

10. Хамрын тамхи

    Khamryn tamkhi

    Snuff (powdered nasal tobacco)

    Usage

    Powdered tobacco made for sniffing. This is what goes inside the khöörög snuff bottle

11. Хөөрөг

    Khöörög

    Khöörög (snuff bottle)

    Usage

    A palm-sized bottle of agate, jade, bone or wood. Note that it is not merely a smoking accessory but a greeting ritual: on a formal meeting two people uncap their bottles, offer them with both hands, take a sniff and hand them back, the younger person half-rising towards the elder. It is also exchanged when settling a quarrel, standing for reconciliation. You can buy one as a souvenir, but if an elder hands you theirs, receive it with both hands

    Grammar Note

    The homonym khöörög can mean a blacksmith’s bellows or a pump. For the snuff bottle, say khamryn tamkhiny khöörög or point at the object to make the context clear.

Browse all TravelPhrases languages