Once a winter home for Dalai Lama, Tibet is popular for its rich culture, beautiful plateau, spectacular mountains and its scrumptious cuisine.

Tibetan cuisine is traditional and simple yet has different composition and flavour. It is born out of its local ingredients and every dish is delicious with its own unique texture and flavour. The Tibetan food culture is heavily influenced by its neighbouring countries- India and Nepal and therefore, there is more familiarity with the country’s culinary flavours. 

The Tibetan cuisine has unique dishes and beverages due to its geographical location of high altitude, climate, their traditional religious beliefs and customs. The daily diet of Tibetans includes high protein foods like yak meat to help them fight from the cold. 

Tea is also an essential part of the country’s cuisine, but the Tibetans have their tea with a twist- butter is what gives a twist to the tea.

What is butter tea?

Known as Po Cha in Tibet, this butter tea has a strong black tea at its base, butter and salt added to it to give it a bold flavour. The butter is specially churned in a wooden apparatus called chandong and the butter used in this tea is yak butter which makes it even interesting. 

This tea is salty and is not meant to be sweet like other teas. The consistency of the butter tea is watery as it uses very less amount of milk and tea.  

You do not need to go to Tibet for especially tasting this tea as you can make it at your own home by following this simple recipe.

Ingredients:

Tea leaves 2 pinches

Unsalted butter 2 cubes

Milk Quarter cup

Salt, a pinch

Water 2 ½  cups

Method:

1. Boil the water in a pan and then make the flame low.

2. Put two pinches of tea in the water and continue to boil for a few minutes and then separate the tea leaves. 

3. Blend the tea, salt, butter and milk in the blender for 2-3 minutes.

4. Pour it in the cup and serve.

Butter tea warms the body, increases energy levels, moisturises skin and aids digestion. It also promotes weight loss and helps control altitude sickness as it fights the effects of lightheadedness, dizziness, and nausea. 

This tea is usually drunk with tsampa, made out of roasted barley flour and butter tea. Tsampa is commonly eaten by mixing it with butter tea in a bowl and forming its small oval balls.

You can also enjoy some Indian snacks with this butter tea and enjoy the salty-salty combination.