The vast majority ofTibetan peoplelive on theQinghai-Tibet Plateau, which is more than3,000 metershigh. Due to Tibet'sharsh coldandhigh altitude, Tibetan people have their own foods andeating habits.
Tibetans' food is mainly composed ofmeat(beef, mutton, or yak), and very fewvegetablesare available. Beef, mutton, and yak meat are high-calorie foods, which help Tibetans living at high altitudes to resist the cold.
Their uniquedrinksare also integral to the Tibetan diet, includingyak butter tea, sweet tea, and barley tea. On your trip to Tibet, have a taste of Tibet'stop 10 foodsand drinks:
1. Yak Butter
Tibetan peopleusually don't drink yak milk directly, but they like to make it intobutterby separating the fat from the milk. Then it keeps for longer.
Thishigh-caloriefood ingredient can help them fight against theharsh cold,尤其是在高地牧场。藏人也put yak butter on theirskinto prevent sunburn!
2. Butter Tea
Butter tea can be found everywhere in Tibet. Thispopular drinkis made with yak butter mixed with strong tea. First, a piece of butter is put in a steel bucket andmeltedby heating the bucket, and thenboiling teais added. The tea leaves are mashed with a wooden stick to make themmelt into butter.
Drinking yak butter tea is adaily habitfor Tibetan people. Generally, Tibetan people drink a few cups of butter tea in the morning before they go to work.
Serving yak butter tea for guests is an oldtraditionof every Tibetan household. It can help reducealtitude sicknesssymptoms.
3. Tsampa (Zanba)
Tsampa is an importantstaple foodfor Tibetan people. It is easy to make and carry around. Tsampa is made with highlandbarley, dried, fried, and ground into flour.
西藏人eat tsampa,他们通常把糌粑面粉在碗里,并添加some butter tea, then mix and knead the mixture with their hands until a ball called apais formed. They then eat the pa.
4. Tibetan Momo
Momo is themost representativefood in Tibet and even the wholeHimalayas region.It is a kind ofsteamed bunfilled with meat and vegetables.
The most commonfillingsare yak meat, vegetables, potatoes, and butter. It has spread toNepal,Bhutan, andIndia, so you will find momo if you travel to these countries too.
5. Tibetan Sausages
Local sausages are calledgyurmain Tibetan,blood sausagesmade with yak or sheep's blood. In Tibetan cuisine, rice or roasted barley flour can be added as a sausage filler.
6. Tibetan Noodles
Tibetan noodles are a very typicallocal breakfastand a traditional snack. The noodles are made of highlandbarleyand cooled with yak meat soup.
A scrumptious breakfast consists ofTibetan noodleswith spoonfuls ofpepper sauce, meat pancakes on the side, and a cup ofsweet tea.
7. Cheser Mog Rice
It is also calledzhe-sein Tibetan. Cheser mog rice is cooked with melted yak butter, brown sugar, raisins, and salt. It is a traditional Tibetanbanquet food, mostly used in festivals.
8. Dry Meat
Beefandmuttonare the main meat materials in Tibetan cuisine. They arehigh-caloriewhich helps people resist high-altitude cold conditions. The beef in Tibetan food is mainly plateauyakmeat, while mutton is mostly highlandsheepmeat.
Everywinter, when the temperature is below zero, Tibetan peopledry their meatto preserve it and make it more delicious. They hang strips in the shade and let them freeze and dry in the wind.
9. Tibetan Yogurt
Yogurt has been anessential ingredientin Tibetan people's everyday life for over one thousand years. TheShoton Festival, one of the most important traditional festivals in Tibet, was named after Yogurt, indicating that this festival is thetime for eating yogurt.
Tibetan yogurt is made from yak milk, and is natural and thick, without additives. >> Check more of theTibetan Festival
10. Barley Wine
Calledchangin Tibetan, Tibetans'low alcohol winemade from barley has only 20% alcohol and tastes sweet and sour. Tibetan people, male and female, like to drink it. It is amust-drinkat Tibetanbanquetsor festival ceremonies.
Dining Etiquette and Taboos
For a (ceremonial) Tibetan meal, people take their seats according to their identities and statuses. Seniors always sit in the top seats, and guests sit on secondary seats, followed by young people on third-level seats.
Before eating, Tibetan people offer cups of tea to each other to show courtesy.
When proposing a toastduring the meal, you should first dip your right-hand finger in the wine. Then use your fingers to flick the wine in the air three times to express your respect to Buddha, Heaven, and Earth.
When you visit a Tibetan family,it's customary that you must have three cups of tea to show your respect to the host. For the first cup of tea, you should take a sip and then fill the cup up, instead of drinking a whole cup dry. When you have had the customary three cups, you can drink whatever you like.
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What Foods are Forbidden in Tibetan Buddhism?
In Tibetan Buddhism, people can eat meat, such as the meat of yaks, sheep, or cattle.
However,on some Buddhist dates, many peopledo not eat meat. According to Tibetan Buddhism, the 8th, 15th, and 30th of every month in theTibetan calendarare auspicious days (lucky days) when Tibetan Buddhists only eat vegetarian foods for their meals.
In terms ofdietary taboos, most Tibetans do not eat a whole variety of meats:
- Hoofed animals, such as horses, donkeys, mules, etc.
- Sharp-clawed animals, such as dogs, cats, foxes, etc.
- Flying birds, such as eagles, vultures, magpies, etc.
- All fish, shrimp, crabs, etc.
- Animals that die naturally, even yaks and sheep
Where to Eat in Tibet
When traveling in Tibet, you will probably have the option of having meals inlocal restaurantsortea houses.
In the cities ofLhasaandShigatse, there are a lot of options for great restaurants withvarious cuisines, such as traditional Tibetan cuisine, Nepali and Indian dishes, as well as Western foods.
Tea housesserve local foods, where you can find butter tea, sweet tea, and local snacks. Usually, there are not as many options as in the large restaurants, but the food is served fast and prices are inexpensive.
Inremote areasof Tibet, such as theMount Everestregion, youmay not have much choice. Travelers usually have their breakfast and dinner in theirhotelsand lunch inTibetan-run当地餐馆on their route to a scenic spot, where onlyinstant noodles,fried rice, soup, sweet tea, hot water, etc. are available.
Experience Tibet with Us
Tibet has its own unique food and culture and alsomagical scenery.As the saying goes, seeing is better than hearing about it… Taste and see Tibet with us.
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