The steamed dumplings prepared in large quantities for Tsagaan Sar are buuz. These Mongolian dumplings are usually filled with minced mutton or beef, onion, garlic, and salt, then cooked in a steamer.
Families often make buuz together in the weeks before Tsagaan Sar. The dumplings can be prepared in very large batches and left outdoors to freeze in Mongolia’s winter weather, making it practical to serve them throughout the holiday visits and feasts.
A buuz wrapper is folded around a meat filling, commonly with a small opening at the top. That opening helps prevent the dumpling from bursting as steam builds, while the cooked dough pocket catches the flavorful juices released by the meat. Buuz are commonly eaten by hand.
The main mix-up is with khuushuur, another Mongolian meat-filled pastry. Buuz are steamed, whereas khuushuur is fried. The name also resembles Mandarin baozi, reflecting a wider regional steamed-dumpling tradition, but buuz has a distinct Mongolian culinary and ceremonial role.