Mongolian steamed dumplings filled with seasoned mutton and onion, folded by hand and cooked over steam — the centerpiece of Tsagaan Sar celebrations.
Buuz are the soul of Mongolian New Year. Every family spends the days before Tsagaan Sar — the Lunar New Year celebrated across the Mongolian steppe — folding hundreds, sometimes thousands, of these steamed dumplings. The number prepared is often a point of family pride, with households counting their buuz in the thousands. Grandmothers teach granddaughters the proper fold; the twisted, pleated top is both a seal and a signature. The filling is almost always mutton — sheep are central to Mongolian pastoral culture, providing not just food but wool, leather, and dairy. The meat is hand-chopped or coarsely ground, mixed with onion and black pepper. No spice blends, no complex marinades. The purity of the ingredients reflects the Mongolian ethos: let quality speak for itself. Fat is not trimmed away — it is essential, melting inside the dumpling as it steams into a rich, savory broth. Unlike Chinese jiaozi or Georgian khinkali, buuz are eaten at the top — you bite off the twisted crown and sip the broth before finishing the rest. They are served stacked on large platters, accompanied by suutei tsai (Mongolian salty milk tea) during the New Year feast. To receive buuz from a host is an act of hospitality. They are eaten with both hands, held up toward the sky in a gesture of respect.
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