Noodles · Nomad Staple

Tsuivan (Цуйван)

Photo: Mizu_Basyo / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Its name comes from the Chinese chǎobǐng, a dish of fried shredded pancake, yet in Mongolia it means homemade noodles steamed and stir-fried with meat and vegetables in a single pot.

Wheat-flour dough is rolled thin and cut into strips, then layered over simmering mutton or beef and vegetables like carrot, cabbage and pepper, steamed, and tossed together in the pot. Sold at market food stalls and roadside canteens across Mongolia.

Why it's made this way: Tsuivan's name and method show Chinese influence, but it has become one of Mongolia's most common everyday meals, a hearty one-pot dish built from wheat noodles and whatever meat and vegetables are on hand.