By: David Tan, U1630231E

In between wars during peaceful times,

The Mongolian empire drank and dined,

Lavish banquets of Horsemeat and Qumis,[1]

The latter fermented over summer time,

Cooling by nature sweet in flavour,[2]

Indeed the Mongol’s court favourite liquor,

Around the Kingdom’s great drinking fountain,

Forty thousand guests gathered in festivities,

Women and men,

Warriors and mothers,

All drank in equality without hierarchy,

From dawn to dusk they celebrated,

Binging on fermented milk ten cartons each day,

For drunkenness was an honour to Kublai Khan,

Son of heaven and Ruler of the Yuan,

With the mandate of heaven the Khan proclaimed,

Drink now to thy hearts content,

For in a fortnight we conquer yet again!

Alessandro Giuseppe Polo, Shangdu, Capital of the Yuan Dynasty in 13th century China

(Written by a western merchant who visited Yuan China via the Silk Road and was invited by the Mongolian Court to witness a festival celebrating Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian Lunar New Year)

[1] Qumis or Koumiss is fermented Mare’s milk that is a traditional Mongolian alcoholic drink.

[2] According to Hu Sihui in the Yinshan Zhengyao, Mare’s milk is high in lactose and tastes quite sweet which is what allows it to be fermented successfully into Qumis. There are 3 different grades: Chige’en, Qongqor and Caqa’an. Chige’en is considered the best. Extracted from Buell, Anderson, and Perry, A Soup for the Qan (Leiden: Brill Publishing Press, 2010), 503.