2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Geographical and ecological study of fermented mare's milk in Mongolia

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	15H02963
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Geography
Research Institution	Meiji University
Principal Investigator	Yuki Morinaga 明治大学, 商学部, 専任教授 (20200438)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	高槻成紀明治大学, 研究・知財戦略機構, 研究推進員 (00124595) 尾崎孝宏鹿児島大学, 法文教育学域法文学系, 教授 (00315392) 河合隆行鳥取大学, 乾燥地研究センター, プロジェクト研究員 (20437536) 石井智美酪農学園大学, 農食環境学群, 教授 (50320544) 田村憲司筑波大学, 生命環境系, 教授 (70211373) 上村明東京外国語大学, 大学院総合国際学研究院, 研究員 (90376830)
Research Collaborator	Tada Yasuyuki Ito Takehiko Komiyama Hiroshi Shinoda Masato Tserenpurev Bat-Oyun Tsuchiya Ryouta Asano Maki Takeuchi Naoko
Project Period (FY)	2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
Keywords	発酵馬乳（馬乳酒、アイラグ、クミス） / 発酵食品 / 微生物多様性 / Non Cow Milk / 伝統知 / モンゴル遊牧民 / 家畜福祉 / 博物館
Outline of Final Research Achievements	In order to succeed the production method of Eurasian nomadic traditional food airag (fermented mare’s milk) that can been seen only in Mongolia for the present, the documentation of production methods and the ecological and socio-cultural survey of the region famous for airag were carried out. The Mogod County of the Bulgan Province became a famous region for airag production to meet the rapidly increased demand from cities during the 1980‘ｓ. In Mogod, the mares were raised in extensive fertile pasturelands with a consideration of animal welfare, and the high quality airag with high nutrition and good fragrance was produced. Though it is difficult to transport airag a long distance to sell it as it is not pasteurized, it was shown that the value of EC (electric conductivity) can be used as the index of airag quality. For the succession of airag culture, the exhibition of our research achievements is being prepared at the Mogod County’s museum of the Mogod Cultural Center.
Free Research Field	自然地理学
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	乾燥・寒冷というアネクメーネ近傍で数千年来続くモンゴル民族の遊牧生活で口伝されてきたアイラグの製法や文化を、その名産地において草原生態系・社会的背景・ウマの飼養方法・発酵過程などの調査記録により残そうとする本研究は、人々の暮らしを支えてきた貴重な発酵食品（および微生物の多様性）を守るという学術的意義がある。また、近年は都市人口が増加し地方でしか生産できない伝統食の需要が増加しているため、良質なアイラグの生産はカシミアと肉の売却に依存する地方の牧民に新たな収入の機会をもたらし経済振興につなげることができるため、アイラグ製法の普及により遊牧社会の健全な発展に寄与するという社会的意義も有する。