The fermented mare”s milk drink is something of a speciality in Saikhan Sum, Bulgan Aimag. This year the Airag Festival will be held on September 14th and 15th in Saikhan Sum by the Bulgan Aimag Administration along with the Saikhan Sum Administration.

The festival aims to promote the fermented drink as a local brand and to pass on the knowledge of traditional production methods to future generations. Not only will products and equipment for fermenting the mares milk will be presented and traded, but there will be many competitions to promote the tradition. As well as a “best tasting airag” competiton there will also be a “who can drink the most airag” competition.

What is Airag?

Airag is a fermented dairy product traditionally made from horse”s milk. It is very light in body compared to most dairy drinks. It has a unique, slightly sour flavor with a bite of mild alcoholic content. In Mongolia the milking season for horses traditiaonlly runs between mid-June and early October. During one season, a mare produced about 1000 to 1200 kg of milk. Half is traditiaonlly left to the foal.

During fermentation, the lactose in mare”s milk is converted into lactic acid, ethanol and carbon dioxide and the milk becomes an accessible source of nutrition for people who are lactose intolerant. In modern controlled production, the initial fermentation takes two to five hours at a temperature of arounf 27°C. The finished product contains between 0.7 and 2.5% alcohol.