Food supply

Hi all

One week already in Mongolia, and my first stomach-ache. So let's use that as an good opportunity to speak you about our first need, food !

Let's compare a occidental supermarket with one in Mongolia.

The first obvious thing to note concerns fruits and vegetables. This is the fruit section

Normal you would say. You can't have a close look to the prices, but they are crazy. Apples are around 7$/kg. Grapes, 10$.

See the vegetables: Somewhat reduced no? Identically everything is overpriced.

Why that? We have to remember that there is less than 3 million people in Mongolia. So the traditional mass consumption scheme cannot apply. There is no way to develop a food industry here and everything has to be imported.

If you can see on this pictures of the jam stand, 

you have products from Germany, Poland, Russia, Korea, China. And since roads are in very bad state (when they exist), and since there is only one rail track crossing the country in only one direction, imports costs are huge.

For 20$ you can have the best american chocolate-bluberries

Where are the French products? Don't worry, Mrs, Ms, the beauty section is as everywhere full of L'Oreal products.

So it is clear that vegetables are not really key product of what Mongolian people eat. Mutton meat, products of milk compose their traditional food. There was not agriculture at all 20 years ago, they try to develop it slowly. Consequently, you won't find as in Chinese supermarkets many indescribable products.

Just a look at a part of the candy section

It is interesting to note that food habits are changing due to inflation. The price of meat has tripled in the last 5 years, and it is now difficult for them to eat as much as they used to (Is it why they are all so thin?). Rice is now more and more a key element as well as cabbage.

In conclusion, eating is not particularly cheap, if you want to save money, you can start smoking. For 1$ you have a pack of 20.

I hope I will feel better soon and be able to speak you about the capital city Ulaan Bataar