Mongolia-Traditional Technique of Making Airag

When one exclaims: Ah My Mongolia with horses and airag, the palate tastes of milk and the image of a foal neighing in the grassland comes to mind. Especially main region known for airag such as Bulgan, Tov, Dundgobi, Ovorkhangai, Arkhangai, culture related to airag, unique customs of traditional way of life were preserved here. Here during the summer and autumn season outside of all the homes foals are tied to the tethering-line and airag is poured into milk containers. The custom of making container for airag, the hide sack from animal skin and hide is still kept in some areas. The family we visited is called Saikhanbilegs. This family belongs to what was known in the olden days as Count Dalai’s Banner of Tusheet Khan League, nowadays known as 2nd bag, Bayan-Ondor soum, Ovorkhangai province. His wife Gundegmaa is famous in her homeland for her method of making airag hide sack. Since they use airag hide sack for three generations they enjoy the best of horses and drink the best of airag. Their sons wake up early and ride out to round up their horses which spent the night out in the country, they greet the sun shining on the steppe and enjoy the life of a horseherd and meet the new morning of their lives. This simple life, smell of dried cow dung fire, enclosure that smells of livestock has become living witness for many generations to this unique culture and inimitable way of life of Mongol herders that contains great history. Mongols who utilize everything from the animals except their breath, make milk buckets and airag hide sacks themselves. Gundegmaa learned these skills helping her parents. Their family was famous for making airag hide sack in their homeland and they lined them from the northern side of the ger along the wall to the entrance and made airag in them. They still make and use their “Unkhan khokhuur” brand of hide sack. Gundegmaa Dashzeveg is someone who lives in a group of gers with her mother, husband and children and passing on the tradition of making “Unkhan khokhuur”. Synch Gundegmaa: I inherited the technique of making airag hide sack from my parents. I am teaching my children this technique so that my children inherit it. All of us, if we can try to make and use airag hide sack ourselves. Animal skin becomes the best sack. Since the skin breathes itself and with the help of this air exchange airag and yoghurt inside ferments and always remains fresh. Herders who have used the big cow for their winter food keep the hide, soak it and scrape off the outside hair and prepare to turn it into hide sack. Venerable Sainbileg has made five hide sacks this year. His sons participate in this process each with their own roles. Synch Elder Son: I learned about this container called hide sack when I was four or five. When I was 17, 18 my mother taught me and then I started to saw it on my own. My younger brother makes the decorations. By now I have made about 50 hide sacks. *** Gundegmaa is teaching her elder son Tegshjargal her hide sack making technique so that he inherits it from her. Although together they have made a good number of hide sacks, every time they make a new one the son learns more from his mother and Gundegmaa is happy to see that her son’s hide skins are turning out almost as good as hers. Mother’s speech: To make a hide sack straight the hide must be folded evenly down the middle. Then the hide must be folded evenly at the back. In order to make a big one hide skin should be wide and bulging at the bottom, in that case it will contain lots of liters. The cut first should start from the evened out middle. It should be made so that outside where the hair was scraped off should be inside and the side which covered the flesh should be outside. Son: What happens if we do the opposite? Mother: It will not be suitable to hold airag inside. Most important part is that hide sack’s mouth and bottom corners must be wide. Son: The bottom of this sack is 45cm. Should we make it bit big? Mother: It should be enough. The side of the hide sack mouth should be made round. Let’s make it round by this measurement. Son: Ok. mother: Currently I am using 13-14 hide skins. This Mongol tradition that was handed down to us since the ancient times is about to be lost. Most children nowadays don’t know how to make hide sack. Son: As for our family, my grandmother taught my mother and she in turn taught me. Now I think I will teach my children. Son: Since the hide expands it moves a lot when it is cut. It cannot be cut like cotton cloth. Grandmother’s speech: In order to hang the hide sack from the wall that wooden hanger is very important. It looks beautiful if you make with a nice shape and carve nice images on it.