Tibetan food shows a major influence of Indian and Chinese cooking methods but the ingredients used are mainly from the mountain areas. The food that one gets in mountain area is deliciously different and is known for its exotic flavour. Well, that is good enough reason for you to try out Tibetan food, which for sure, is going to be a new experience for your taste buds.
Peppery lamb chop, a typical Tibetan dish [Photo/China Tibet Online]
I、What Tibetan people cook?
The main food that is consumed in Tibet contains mainly barley, meat and dairy products. In fact dairy products are something that you will find with every meal of the day. Since Tibet is a high mountainous region, the vegetables are usually found not in a very good quantity so that people can easily see the minimal use of veggies in cooking.
Zanba, a roasted highland qingke barley flour, is the staple food of Tibetan People.
[Photo/China Tibet Online]
Zanba, a roasted highland qingke barley flour, is the staple food of Tibetan People. It is actually barley flour made from parched barley, un-husked and ground into fine flour. Tibetan people put some flour with salted butter tea in a bowl, rotate the bowl and mix the food with your fingers, roll it into small lumps, and then squeeze it into the mouth. You can also add other ingredients to add flavor.
Yak butter is another favorite food for Tibetan people. The milk produced by yak cow is considered to be absolutely tasty and full of nutrition, so don't miss the taste.
Making Tibetan butter tea [Photo/China Tibet Online]
II、Looking for famous beverages in Tibet
The salted butter tea is an irreplaceable Zanba partner. Boiled tea is poured into a long cylindrical churn along with salt and yak butter. Churning makes the ingredients nicely mixed up and ready to be served. Hot boiling black tea is decanted into a churn, and then fresh milk and sugar are added.
There are many teashops in Lhasa serving the sweet milk tea which is an absolute hit among Tibetan People. Also try out the Tibetan barley beer, called Chang in Tibetan. The beer is mild, slightly sweet and sour and contains little alcohol. The beverage is definitely worth the money you spend on it.