The Ultimate Guide to Galutu Town: The Heart of Mongolian Milk Skin

High above the windswept horizons of Wushen Banner, a culinary transformation is taking place that bridges the gap between ancient nomadic traditions and the fast-paced digital age. In the heart of Galutu Town, located within the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, a delicacy known as naipi—or traditional milk skin—is being reinvented. This rich, wrinkled sheet of concentrated milk fat, once a quiet staple of the Mongolian breakfast table, has grown beyond its humble beginnings. It is no longer limited to herdsmen’s copper pots; rather, it is being incorporated into modern global cuisines, appearing in everything from artisanal pizzas and speciality coffees to trendy hotpots and seasonal mooncakes.

A Morning Ritual Preserved in Time

The journey of this “white gold” begins in the early hours of the morning, long before the sun fully warms the grasslands. In the traditional kitchens of local herdsmen, brick tea is simmered over open flames while the essential ingredient of the steppe is prepared. Fresh milk, which has been allowed to rest undisturbed throughout the night, is gently heated until a pale yellow, textured layer forms upon the surface. This delicate sheet represents the concentrated essence of nearly two kilograms of raw milk. When this “soul of the breakfast” is broken into bowls of salty milk tea, a deep, creamy aroma is released, providing the necessary sustenance to withstand the chill of the northern plains. This process, though centuries old, remains the foundation upon which a burgeoning modern industry is built.

From Artisanal Craft to Industrial Powerhouse

The transition from a domestic craft to a national commodity has been facilitated by significant technological advancements. Just a short distance from the traditional yurt kitchens, modern facilities like the Minxin Dairy Processing Workshop demonstrate the scale of this dairy revolution. Within these walls, the sounds of manual stirring are replaced by the hum of standardized machinery. Thousands of milk skin sheets are dried and shaped simultaneously on high-efficiency production lines before being vacuum-packed for distribution. These products are then dispatched to China’s major metropolitan centres, including the bustling hubs of Shanghai and Hangzhou. The demand for these products has surged dramatically; output in 2025 was nearly double compared to previous years, with thousands of sheets being produced daily from tonnes of fresh milk.

Engineering the Flavour Revolution

The “breakout” success of milk skin is not regarded as a mere coincidence by regional planners. It is seen as a calculated response to a global shift toward high-protein, natural health foods. Since 2022, a systematic industrial chain project has been implemented in Galutu Town to ensure the quality and quantity of production. Upstream in the supply chain, vast tracts of land—approximately 4,000 mu—were converted into “central kitchens” dedicated to the cultivation of high-quality forage, such as silage corn and oats. Furthermore, Jersey cows were introduced to the region specifically to enhance milk yields. These efforts resulted in an annual milk production increase from roughly 817,000 kg in 2022 to nearly 5 million kg by the mid-2020s, ensuring a stable foundation for the town’s “flavour laboratories”.

The Viral Rise of the Milk-Skin Tanghulu

Innovation has been sparked further by local creative competitions, which encouraged entrepreneurs to fuse traditional ingredients with modern snacks. One of the most notable successes is the reinvention of tanghulu—the classic Chinese sugar-coated hawthorn skewer. In this new iteration, the haws are stuffed with fruit-filled milk skin and paired with cold-brew yoghurt. While the market was initially viewed with hesitation, the trend exploded on social media, leading to hundreds of skewers being sold daily. These inventive offerings are credited with more than just increasing sales; they are viewed as a vital link that connects the heritage of the grasslands with the lifestyle of a younger, fashion-forward generation.

A New Frontier for Culinary Tourism

Galutu Town has expanded its vision beyond food production, integrating its dairy heritage into a comprehensive tourism strategy. The town is now positioned as a destination where planting, breeding, processing, and sales are combined with immersive travel experiences. Visitors are invited to tour high-tech modern ranches and are given the opportunity to participate in the traditional hand-making of milk skin. Local street shops serve as tasting rooms for an array of fusion snacks, and exquisite souvenir sets are made available for travellers to take home. By hosting cultural festivals and even challenging Guinness World Records for the largest milk skin ever produced, the town has successfully established naipi as a core cultural intellectual property (IP).

Sustaining the Grassland Dividend

The future of Galutu’s dairy industry depends on ongoing research and development to strengthen the industrial chain. The goal is to expand the global reach of the grasslands’ distinct aroma. By modernising the “milk skin” brand, the town ensures that the economic benefits of industrial growth are distributed to the local herders, preserving their way of life through innovation. As the “grassland aroma” spreads, it carries the story of a culture that refused to fade away, demonstrating that even the most ancient delicacies can find a place in the modern world when treated with respect and creativity.

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