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Marmots are rather large rodents which are found in
the Northern Hemisphere. In North America they are called
'groundhogs' and they even have their own holiday, when this
little feller has the onerous responsibility of telling the
nation whether spring is on its way.
Far away in Mongolia the very same animal is prized
not for it's weather forecasting abilities but for it's tasty
meat and valuable fur.
Origins and history
The marmot has been a vital source of food and clothing for
Mongolians since ancient times. When the Venetian explorer
Marco Polo 'discovered' Mongolia in the 13th century
he reported that the people ate 'Pharaoh's rats, of which
there are great numbers in burrows on those plains'.
In the late 19th century the Germans realised that if they
dyed Marmot skin black they could pass it off as otter, a
much more valuable commodity. Soon there was a flourishing
trade in marmot skin and even today it an important source
of income for the nation. More recently, it has also often
been used as a cheaper alternative to mink, being similar
in appearance when dyed.
Hunting for marmot
Marmots are carriers of bubonic plague in Mongolia
but this doesn't deter the people from hunting them for food.
In fact, their traditional hunting methods, bizarre though
they may seem, protect against the killing and consumption
of infected animals: a Mongolian marmot hunter dresses all
in white, with a white hat with long rabbit-like ears and
a daluur - a tassel made from a horse or yak's tail.
When the daluur is shaken the marmot begins to call, but doesn't
run and hide. The hunter moves slowly towards his prey, waggling
the long ears if the marmot stops calling. The whole parade
allows the hunter to come much closer to the marmot that he
would otherwise be able to. The hunter will never shoot a
marmot that doesn't give the alarm call, as this natural response
is not given by creatures infected with the plague. Moreover
he'll never eat an animal that he's found already dead or
could catch and kill with his bare hands.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Chinese tried to
cash in on the marmot fur boom and began hunting them themselves.
They didn't observe the Mongolian procedure however, with
the result that thousands of poor Chinese died in the ensuing
outbreak of plague.
Serving suggestion
Once you've caught you're marmot and you're sure its safe
to eat, you can prepare it in the open air in much the same
way as the Mongolians have done since ancient times:
The head and insides are removed, then the meat is stuffed
back inside along with red-hot stones. It is sealed up again
and left to cook from the inside out for two hours. This dish
is known as Bodok.
Shopping
Although not necessarily that ethical, marmot goods like
fur coats and hats make genuine authentic gifts from Mongolia.
The travel friendly cities of Ulaan Bataar and Dalanzadgad
are good places to buy. |
