Parts Unknown: The Court of Sartaq

Note to the readers:

Parts Unknown was an American television show that followed late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain as he traveled off the beaten path, immersing himself in local culture and cuisine. In this program food acts as a vehicle for delving into a place’s history, politics, and customs. In an episode on Armenia, for example, meals, drinks, and strolls through the marketplace breed incredibly deep conversations. Over dinners and drinks, individuals open up to Bourdain about the Armenian genocide, the subsequent diaspora, more recent suffering under USSR rule, and the effect of these experiences on the modern Armenian identity. Throwaway moments lead to salient revelations. For instance, Bourdain is surprised to see hummus included as part of a traditional Armenian meal. It is a seemingly insignificant observation, but leads his host to explain that hummus has become relatively commonplace after many families were forced to seek temporary refuge in countries like Lebanon and Syria (in the wake of the early twentieth-century genocide). Food, in this manner, enables connection and learning.

The idea of food as a mechanism for understanding a community more broadly is very much present in William of Rubruck’s account of his travels into Mongolia. Food and drink (comos most especially) provide windows into social dynamics, religious conceptions, etc. As quotidian as food seems, there is something deeply  intimate about sharing a meal or a drink, which Rubruck seems to recognize. I intend to emphasize this facet of Rubruck’s work by reimagining his text as an episode of Parts Unknown to highlight how an example of the simple can lead us to an understanding of the profound.

Episode Pitch:

Bourdain ventures next to a place few men have gone before: Mongolia and the court of Sartaq Khan. The episode will begin with shots of sprawling pastureland, dotted with quintessential hooped dwellings. The camera will begin to focus in on a distant figure on horseback. From afar this figure may resemble some kind of knight, adorned with what appears to be a helmet and lance. As the camera zooms in, the figure turns out to be a woman rather than a knight, decked out in traditional (voluminous) garb. Though she is not introduced just yet, she will serve as this episode’s local guide.

After the Parts Unknown intro and theme music end, the episode will re-open with footage of a man playing traditional music on a small guitar. Over these images, Bourdain will provide a brief geographical overview. He will also give some basic context on the humble origins and meteoric rise of the Khans. 

Next, Bourdain will have the opportunity to chat with his guide over an authentic meal – perhaps including drinks and dishes such as horse milk, horse intestine sausage, and dried meats. The nature of the foods served will undoubtedly prompt a discussion of the wider belief in thriftiness and resourcefulness. The Mongols famously let no part of the animal go to waste. They even wear captargacs – small pouches – to carry leftover food or bones they might want to pick at later. The profusion of meat will likely also prompt questions and discussion around the Mongols impressive hunting strategies, which may in turn lead to a discussion of their broader proclivity towards and success in war. 

This scene will be followed by a deeper probe into the Mongols’ unprecedented ascent. We have secured an interview with one of Sartaq’s most important deputies, who has agreed to take Bourdain around an encampment and discuss how an empire grew out of nothing and their view of outsiders.

The next scene will intersperse shots of men milking mares and women churning butter. In a voice-over, Bourdain will introduce the popularity and cultural importance of comos – the laboriousness of producing it, its seasonal availability, and how highly it is prized. His description will be complemented by testimony from his tour guide, who can relate how intertwined comos is with religious and social dynamics. People in her community, for example, have avoided conversion to Christianity specifically because they believe Christians are forbidden from drinking comos – so fundamental is this drink to the Mongol way of life. Social hierarchies are reflected in who gets to drink comos, how much they get to drink, and when. Finally, gender roles manifest around comos as well: men are tasked with securing mare’s milk, while women are relegated to collecting the (less desirable) cow’s milk.

Food, we will learn, is not merely sustenance for the Mongols, but indicative of a way of life.