As I sat at the large round table, a savory pot of boiling soup in front of me, my stomach started to rumble. After months of unfamiliar Mongolian food, I was ready for Asian hot pot—a DIY cuisine popular in my hometown of San Francisco. It’s like fondue, without the cheese; the restaurant provides raw vegetables, meats, and hot broth and you cook everything at your table. Simple, right?
Journalism, not gastronomy, brought my boyfriend and me to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. But on this night, our Australian friend invited us to his roommate’s birthday party. We’d spent the last few weeks eating boiled cabbage and ramen noodles, so the thought of an evening out was irresistible. Unfortunately, there are reasons Mongolia and haute cuisine rarely meet.
A platter with thin slices of bright red meat arrived first. “Is that sirloin?” I asked. “Horse steak,” my friend responded, smirking slightly. Mongolians are famous equestrians—Genghis Khan conquered half the world on horseback—but I hadn’t guessed the extent of their infatuation.
It turns out Mongolians love every part of a horse. “What is that?” I yelped, eyeing what looked suspiciously like jellyfish slices. It’s a landlocked country; there’s no way a marine creature was on my plate.
“That … is horse penis,” guffawed my friend.
My curiosity got the better of me. As my boyfriend (and the rest of the table) stared in incredulous shock, I picked up a wriggling morsel, closed my eyes, and popped it into my mouth. With every rubbery bite, I saw the men cross their legs a little tighter.
My boyfriend likes to joke that I always order the weirdest thing on the menu. But hey, I like being an adventurous eater. It might not taste good, but at least I’ll have a great story for my grandkids.
Related Stories:
Now That’s Amore: Travel Eats
What’s Your Unforgettable Travel Food Memory?
Curious About Mongolia?
Pass the Head Jelly Please: Ten Gag-Inducing Foods
Photo Source: Wolfgang Staudt (cc)
