"I think they just killed a sheep"

“My brother lives over there”, says our driver as we pass through the northern Gobi. So I suggest we can stop and say hello. “Five minutes”, he says, “No problem” I reply.
Two and a half hours later, we leave 😊, but it was worth it, if at times rather stressful on the palette and the nose.
We are, of course, invited into the yurt, and this is a sight to behold and to smell. Not only do 5 people live in here, with everything in one room (sleeping, cooking, storage), but it’s a mini factory for transforming goat and horse milk into yogurt, cheese, vodka and more. It's a pretty wild mix. Super interesting.
We now all fear what is to follow. They are going to offer us milk and cheese and we can't refuse, can we? Nora gets out of the process by saying she has a bad stomach and goes to pay outside. The rest of us are trapped in this well-meaning expression of hospitality. First, the milk. Oh no, he offers me an enormous bowl filled to the top. Luckily, this is meant for sharing and not just for me. On to the cheese! It's a bit better than usual, but it's still not our taste. In front of us is a huge drum full of milk, what for? It turns out to be a brew that is the basis for Mongolian goats' milk vodka. They put a large pan on the stove and fill it with brew. On top comes a big pot with a hole in the bottom, and on top of the pot is sealed with a big bowl of cold water. It’s a basic still for alcohol. 40 minutes later, the still has worked its magic, and we have two litres of spirts. It’s only 11:30am but still hospitality demands that we drink the brew. Luckily again, it's to share, and we get away with mini sips.
The hospitality is not over as Nora enters and says “I think they just killed a sheep”. True enough, in our honor, a sheep has met a sad end, and they have started to skin it and butcher it. I thought the kids would be freaked out by the sight, but no, they were actually interested to understand what all the “bits” were.
At around 12:30, we hear that food is ready, and so we have the freshest mutton with noodles that we have ever had. Quite good, really, even if our appetites are somewhat dulled by the overwhelming smell of cheese, milk, and other foodstuffs.
When we are in the car, our drivers brother approaches with a gift. Two litres of (goat or horse) milk in a coke bottle. Incredible, even if this poses the problem of how to dispose of it.
The height of hospitality.Read more