早在千年前，蒙古族人民就與草原為伴，以放牧為生。牛羊是他們最重要的生活來(lái)源，而奶制品則是他們每日必吃的家常食品之一。奶制品在蒙古語(yǔ)中為“察干伊德”，意思是白色的食品。

Over a thousand years ago， the Mongolianpeople lived in harmony with the grasslands， relyingon herding for their livelihood. Cattle and sheep weretheir most important resources， and dairy productswere a staple of their daily diet. In Mongolian， dairyproducts are called “tsagaan idee，” which means“white food.”

草原美食——察干伊德

Grassland Delicacies： Tsagaan Idee

草原上最常見(jiàn)的奶制品，是奶皮子和奶酪。蒙古族婦女將新鮮的牛奶倒入鍋中，用文火慢慢熬煮，待多次拂揚(yáng)的熱牛奶冒起泡沫后，放涼。放涼后，牛奶表面會(huì)結(jié)成一種蜂窩狀油層，取出晾干后就是奶皮子。它也是制作酥油的原料。剩下的牛奶，繼續(xù)熬煮，加入適量的酸漿或醋，使凝固成塊，再擠壓去除水分，經(jīng)過(guò)晾曬，便成了奶酪。這兩種簡(jiǎn)單的奶制品，不僅營(yíng)養(yǎng)豐富，而且易于保存和攜帶，是蒙古族人民最常吃的食物。

The most common dairy products on thegrasslands are naipizi （dried milk skin） and cheese.Mongolian women start by pouring fresh milkinto a pot， slowly simmering it over low heat.Once the foam rises to the surface of the boilingmilk， they set it aside to cool. After it cools， it willform a honeycomb-like layer of fat， which is thenremoved and dried to make naipizi. This is also akey ingredient in making butter. The remainingmilk is boiled further and， with the addition of anappropriate amount of whey or vinegar， curdlesinto solid lumps. These curds are then pressed toremove the excess liquid and sun-dried to makecheese. These two simple dairy products are not only highly nutritious， but also easy to store andtransport， making them a staple food for theMongolian people.

奶豆腐是牧民家中另一種常見(jiàn)的奶制品，因形狀像豆腐而得名。它是牛、羊、馬奶等經(jīng)凝固、發(fā)酵而成的食物，分為生奶豆腐和熟奶豆腐兩種。奶豆腐色澤乳白，乳香濃郁，質(zhì)地柔軟細(xì)膩，味道有的微酸、有的微甜，十分可口?？芍苯邮秤茫部闪栏删么?。牧民們常泡在奶茶中食用，出遠(yuǎn)門當(dāng)干糧，既解渴又充饑。

Milk tofu is another common dairy productfound in herders’ homes. Made from cow’s， sheep’s，or mare’s milk by curdling and fermentation， it getsits name from its resemblance to tofu. There are twotypes： raw and cooked milk tofu. Its color is creamywhite and its taste ranges from mildly sour to slightlysweet， with a rich， milky aroma. Its texture is soft anddelicate， making it very appetizing. Milk tofu can beeaten fresh or dried for long-term storage. Herdersoften soak it in milk tea or take it on long journeys asa dry snack to quench thirst and satisfy hunger.

在草原奶制品中，飲品自然也占據(jù)了一席之地，比如蒙古族人日常飲用的奶茶，歡慶節(jié)日、款待賓客喝的馬奶酒等。據(jù)統(tǒng)計(jì)，草原人民用牛、羊、馬奶制成的各種察干伊德多達(dá)幾十種。

Among the many dairyproducts of the grasslands，beverages also hold a specialplace， such as the milk teathat Mongolians drink dailyand the airag （fermentedmare’s milk） served atfestivals for guests. In fact，it is estimated that there aredozens of varieties of tsagaanidee made from the milk ofmares， cows， and sheep.

現(xiàn)代味蕾新潮

A Modern Twist on Tradition

元朝時(shí)期，蒙古族奶制品已經(jīng)傳入中原地區(qū)，成為宮廷貴族餐桌上的美味。到了明朝，內(nèi)蒙古的奶制品已經(jīng)名揚(yáng)四海。據(jù)史料記載，清代康熙年間宮廷內(nèi)有按職位分配乳牛的規(guī)定：太皇太后、皇太后各24頭，皇帝、皇后共用100頭，皇貴妃7頭……這反映了奶制品在當(dāng)時(shí)非常珍貴?，F(xiàn)在，這些曾經(jīng)被視為貴族專享的奶制品已經(jīng)“飛入尋常百姓家”，成為中華美食文化中不可或缺的一部分。

As early as the Yuan Dynasty， Mongolian dairyproducts made their way to central China andbecame a delicacy on the tables of the imperialcourt. By the Ming Dynasty， dairy products fromInner Mongolia had gained national fame. Historicalrecords show that during the Kangxi reign of theQing Dynasty， there were strict regulations on thedistribution of cows within the palace： the GrandEmpress Dowager and the Empress Dowager wereeach given 24 cows， while the Emperor and theEmpress shared 100 cows and the Imperial NobleConsort was given 7 cows， reflecting the high valueplaced on dairy products at the time. Today， theseonce-exclusive delicacies have “flown into the homesof ordinary people” and become an essential part ofChinese culinary culture.

尤其是，隨著現(xiàn)代工藝和多元化飲食潮流的融入，內(nèi)蒙古的奶制品文化也迎來(lái)了新的發(fā)展機(jī)遇，讓傳統(tǒng)的察干伊德煥發(fā)出了新活力。例如，當(dāng)奶豆腐邂逅都市麗人日常“續(xù)命”的咖啡，奶豆腐便擁有了酸甜咸苦的多元時(shí)尚風(fēng)味，而咖啡則濃縮了草原的風(fēng)味與情調(diào)。這種“跨界融合”早就被當(dāng)代年輕人接受，用奶皮子做的蛋糕、用奶酥做的冰激凌一度成為網(wǎng)紅食品。

In particular， with the advent of modernprocessing techniques and diversifying dietarytrends， Inner Mongolia’s dairy culture has embracednew opportunities for growth，NlrvQ3yaqEbPxihyrMEwDw== breathing new life intotraditional tsagaan idee. For example， when milk tofumeets the coffee that city folks rely on to “survive theday，” it takes on a unique blend of sweet， sour， salty，and bitter flavors， while the coffee itself is infusedwith the taste and spirit of the grasslands. This kindof “cross-over fusion” has already been embraced by today’s younger generation.Cakes made with naipiziand ice cream made withmilk butter have evenbecome internet sensations.

隨著科技的進(jìn)步，釀制馬奶酒的工藝日益完善，不僅有簡(jiǎn)單的發(fā)酵法，還有新研發(fā)的釀制烈性奶酒的蒸餾法，六蒸六釀后的奶酒深受人們的喜愛(ài)，并且早已跨越草原，走向更廣闊的市場(chǎng)。馬奶酒還被都市青年做成了咖啡，甚至還成為調(diào)制雞尾酒的配料。

With advancements in technology， the processof making airag has become increasingly refined.Beyond the simple fermentation method， newdistillation techniques have been developed toproduce stronger milk spirits. The process ofdistilling and brewing six times has created a richflavor that people love， and airag has long sincecrossed the grasslands to reach a broader market.It has even been adapted by urban youth into airagcoffee and incorporated into cocktail ingredients.

內(nèi)蒙古的奶制品不僅本身豐富多樣，還在文化融合和制作工藝發(fā)展中綻放出無(wú)窮無(wú)盡的形態(tài)。無(wú)論是草原牧民飯桌上的奶豆腐，還是繁華都市咖啡館里的馬奶酒咖啡，都能讓人感受到那份源自草原的醇厚與溫暖，體驗(yàn)到內(nèi)蒙古奶制品文化的獨(dú)特魅力與深遠(yuǎn)影響。這不僅是一種味蕾的享受，更是一種文化的傳承與弘揚(yáng)。

Inner Mongolia’s dairy products are not onlydiverse in themselves， but they’ve also blossomedinto endless forms through cultural integration andtechnological innovation. Whether it’s the milk tofuon a herder’s table or airag coffee in a bustling citycafe， one can always taste the richness and warmthof the grasslands. It’s a unique experience thatshowcases the charm and lasting influence of InnerMongolia’s dairy culture. This is more than just atreat for the taste buds — it’s a living tradition， passeddown and celebrated through time.