Integration of Traditional and Scientific Knowledge for Promoting Fermented Horse Milk Production

• Project/Area Number: 25870806
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Geography; Eating habits
• Research Institution: Tottori University
• Principal Investigator: Tserenpurev BAT-OYUN 鳥取大学, 乾燥地研究センター, 研究員 (30649843)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥2,860,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥660,000)
• Keywords: fermented horse milk / nomads / traditional knowledge / GPS observation / drylands / Airag (kumys) / home range / nomadic people / Fermented horse milk / GPS / Traditional food / Herder / 国際研究者交流

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Airag (fermented horse milk) is a traditional and most representative milk product in Mongolia and interests in healthier foods and demands of airag have been increasing within and beyond Mongolia. Therefore, recording the traditional knowledge and analysis of factors to make high-quality airag are important. Nationwide survey demonstrated that airag production was intensive in central, southern and western Mongolia. Important factors recognized by herders to produce high-quality airag were herders' skill, selecting good yeast, and plant species. Ranges of horses for airag production in a famous area for high-quality airag were larger during non-milking period (nighttime) than milking period (daytime). It would reflect spatial distributions of water, salt, and forage availability. Importance of site selection and horse managements for high-quality airag production was suggested.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Assessment of the effects of severe winter disasters (dzud) on public health in Mongolia based on loss of livestock (2016)
  • Author(s): Otani, S., K. Onishi, Y. Kurozawa, Y. Kurosaki, T. Bat-Oyun, M. Shinoda, and H. Mu
  • Journal Title: Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness Volume: 印刷中 Issue: 4 Pages: 1-4
  • DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2016.5
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Who is making airag (Fermented Mare's Milk)? A nationwide survey of traditional food in Mongolia (2015)
  • Author(s): Bat-Oyun, T., B. Erdenetsetseg, M. Shinoda, T. Ozaki, and Y. Morinaga
  • Journal Title: Nomadic Peoples Volume: 19 Issue: 1 Pages: 7-29
  • DOI: 10.3197/np.2015.190103
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Presentation] Environmental factors influencing the movement of horses kept for fermented mare’s milk in Mongolia (2015)
  • Author(s): Purevdorj, Y., Bat-Oyun, T., Hoshino, B., Ito, T., Morinaga, Y., Shinoda, M., Ishii, S
  • Organizer: Annual Meeting the Japanese Association for Arid Land Studies
  • Place of Presentation: Akita, Japan
  • Year and Date: 2015-05-23
• [Presentation] Airag (Fermented mare’s milk) production in Mongolia: A nationwide survey (2015)
  • Author(s): Tserenpurev Bat-Oyun, Baasandai Erdenetsetseg, Masato Shinoda, Takahiro Ozaki and Yuki Morinaga
  • Organizer: International Symposia on Dzud and Traditional Herding Knowledge
  • Place of Presentation: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
  • Year and Date: 2015-03-12 – 2015-03-13
• [Presentation] Comparison of drought and dzud impacts across the China-Mongoila border (2014)
  • Author(s): Yuki Morinaga, Chana, G.U. Nachinshonhor, Masato Shinoda and Tserenpurev Bat-Oyun
  • Organizer: International symposium on Multi-Hazard approach in Mongolia
  • Place of Presentation: Nagoya University, Japan
  • Year and Date: 2014-11-07
• [Presentation] Traditional knowledge of the Mongolian herders about the Airag (Fermented mare’s milk) production (2014)
  • Author(s): Yuki Morinaga, Yadamjav Purevdorj, Baasandai Erdenetsetseg, Seiki Takatsuki, Tomomi Ishii, Takahiro Ozaki, Masato Shinoda and Tserenpurev Bat-Oyun
  • Organizer: The Study Meeting of the Association of Japanese Geographers
  • Place of Presentation: Toyama University, Japan
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-21
• [Presentation] Fermented mare's milk production in Mongolia, Russia and Germany (2014)
  • Author(s): Yuki Morinaga, Tserenpurev Bat-Oyun, Baasandai Erdenetsetseg, Masato Shinoda and Takahiro Ozaki
  • Organizer: Science and policy futures in the Gobi rangelands
  • Place of Presentation: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-18 – 2014-09-19