Buryat Buuzy

Buuzy are steamed dumplings of unleavened dough filled with minced or chopped meat, usually mutton and beef with onion and a little water or fat, pleated closed at the top and left with a small hole - traditionally with a set number of pleats, and the hole lets steam in and marks the shape, which is said to echo a yurt with its smoke opening. They are related to Mongolian buuz and Tibetan momo and arrived with Buddhism. The eating method matters: they are picked up in the fingers, a small bite taken from the side, and the broth inside drunk before the rest is eaten, which is why they are not served with cutlery. Three is a normal order, four is a large one. Roadside buuznaya cafes across Buryatia serve them with tea, and quality is judged on the juice inside and whether the dough is thin. They are heavy food and belong to a cold climate.

What you actually see

• The pleated top - a set number of folds with a hole left at the crown.
• The broth inside - juice drunk from the first bite before the dumpling is eaten.
• The hand eating - served without cutlery and picked up in the fingers.
• The roadside cafes - buuznaya stops along the Buryat highways.

When to go

All year; they suit cold weather. A meal. Roadside cafes serve them all day.

Honest expectations

They are heavy and fatty, and mutton is the usual meat, which not everyone likes. The broth burns if you bite carelessly. Standards at roadside cafes vary widely. Vegetarian versions are rare and not traditional.

Nearby

Ulan-Ude and the Ivolginsky datsan are the usual base for trying them.