Welcome to the Blogging from A to Z Challenge! Each day in April (except Sundays) I’ll be posting about unusual and exotic foods.
How about some AIRAG? Sometimes spelled ‘ayrag,’ this is the Mongolian word for fermented horse milk. The Russian word for it is ‘kumys,’ but this is letter A, so airag it is!
The milk is filtered through a cloth, then it’s poured into a leather sack. These days, a plastic vat may be used. Lactic acid bacteria plus yeast produces the fermentation, and the airag is stirred often, to make sure all of the milk is fermented equally. When the fermentation process is completed, it has about 2% alcohol. The beverage is a good source of vitamins and minerals.
If you visit Mongolia and are offered a bowl of airag, you should at least take a sip before passing the bowl back to your host. To refuse it outright would be very impolite.
Here’s a guy trying airag:
So…..WOULD YOU DRINK THE AIRAG?
Martha Reynolds Writes 
He did a good job being polite by taking 3 sips. Not sure if I would gotten through the first one.
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vinegar and milk?could almost be like buttermilk? ewww
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Worse than buttermilk, I think!
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Hmm sounds like something between yaourt and cheese… well yes, why not?
A is for Art Déco
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Thank you, Frédérique, and I’m loving your blog posts!
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Loving your theme. Hoping to see some appealing different foods!
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Thank you, Sharon – I cant promise they’ll all be appealing!
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Oh, my. Maybe just a small sip. So out of context to what we are used to.
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I’d probably try it – perhaps just a polite sip.
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Interesting! I think I’ll pass on it though. Fortunately, I don’t have a trip to Mongolia planned in my near future, so I’m probably safe.
I can’t wait to see what you come up with for the other letters of the alphabet!
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What a fun theme! While I’d take a polite sip so as not to offend, I’m thinking this is not something I’d be volunteering to consume.
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There you go! A little sip so as not to offend the host. And done!
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I think I will pass on this one. I wonder what “wonderful” food or drink you’ll be writing about tomorrow.
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Haha! There are a few surprises, Denise!
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maybe, but I doubt it
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Same!
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Yes, I’d take a sip, but only to be polite. 🙂
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I think I’d have to do that, Wendy, but I wouldn’t want to!
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M…YOU KNOW I’m Irish right? Potatoes……vegetables of the Gods!! Regardless, I’m not sure how much I will eat, but I am very excited about your blog this year and can’t wait to see what frightens me tomorrow! Any chance R will be Ring Dings? Zulu Delta
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Haha! Meat and two veg. I hope you find something to eat in these posts!
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I’ve tried pretty much everything. Not sure about horse milk though. I would definitely not insult the host; I will take a sip.
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A sip for me then, too.
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I have heard of this – saw it on TV at some point (although the details have vanished from my brain). I think, no I would not drink this 😂 … probably. Best wishes.
Tasha 💖
Virginia’s Parlour – The Manor (Adult concepts – nothing explicit in posts)
Tasha’s Thinkings – Vampire Drabbles
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What a theme, Martha! Um, no, I don’t think I’d drink it!
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It doesn’t sound appealing but I’d give it a try.
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I don’t like regular milk very much so I probably would not like it but I would try it. I would not want to insult my host.
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See, you’re a good guest, Michelle! I’d probably take a tiny sip, too.
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I think I might say I have a milk allergy.
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So much to learn – so many new words coming up. Food Prompt is an interesting theme to write on- i m waiting to learn more about local- regional- global food from your posts.
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I suppose I would. i tried grasshoppers and raw horsemeat in Japan but milky products make me gag so I just don’t know how I’d go.
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