In Mongolia, are dairy products offered to tourists typically processed?
The "Health" section of Lonely Planet Mongolia states you can get Brucellosis from unboiled milk or homemade cheese, and that you can get TB from unpasteurized milk, but that cheese and boiled milk is safe with regards to TB.
Are dairy products offered to tourists typically processed in some form or other? (Asking as someone who prefers processed dairy products, rather than as a "raw milk" fan)
Also, is airag safe to drink, at least from an infectious disease perspective?
Best Answer
Any milk I had while in the Mongolian countryside was boiled first.
Also, is airag safe to drink, at least from an infectious disease perspective?
The following suggests that airag can give you diarrhoea:
The national drink of Mongolia is also a staple in celebrations, though it's slightly less alcoholic and more...unique. Known as Airag, this is a summer seasonal drink made from fermented mare's milk. It is, to put it mildly, an acquired taste. At first, it feels like you're drinking milk that's gone bad, but rest assured, 3 million Mongolians can't be wrong, it is drinkable. Be sure to get a small amount or ask for a taste before you get a whole cup, drinking too much, when you're not used to it, might give you diarrhoea.
Ironically, I didn't get diarrhoea from drinking airag in Mongolia, but got it a few months later after having lassi in an Indian restaurant while on holiday in Orange in my home state of NSW, Australia. At least with airag, if you're old enough to drink it, you're old enough to hopefully not get killed by it.
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