Unique Traditional Tibetan Foods

The distinctive environment of Tibet produces unique traditional Tibetan foods that can only be tasted in Tibet. It is said that you have never been to Tibet if you haven't ever tasted Tibetan food. Tourists to Tibet will firstly check the unique Tibetan food when travel to Tibet.

 

Tibetan main foods are Tsampa (Zan Ba), pea, horsebean, milk sediments, meats and milk products. Tibetan like eat air-dry beef, mutton. The major drinks in Tibet (Lhasa) are ghee tea, pure tea, sweet tea, fresh milk and Chang. Especially the Tsampa, ghee, tea, cow and sheep meat are reputed as "four treasures in Tibetan dining". If you make a tour to Tibet, do not miss the delicious highland food.

 

Traditional Tibetan food uses roasted barley flour, yak meat, milk, cheese, yoghurt and butter. This diet sustains those living at high altitude and the extreme conditions of the high plateau as little vegetation grows there. In contrast, the diet of those living in the Tibetan Himalayan foothills, where a wide range of fruit and vegetables are cultivated, is more varied.

 

There is an abundance of wild herbs and mushrooms which are commonly used in Traditional Tibetan medicine and also used in cooking Tibetan food. Due to Tibet's distance from the sea and, more importantly, a deep rooted belief in limiting the killing of sentient beings, fish and seafood are not widely used. In some areas of Tibet, Tibetan people even do not eat fish as they regard fish as the incarnation of the god of water or due to the fear of its bone getting stuck in the throat. Whatever, travelers are kindly required to respect local Tibetan customs during Tibet tour.

 

Tsampa

 

Tsampa is one of the stable foodstuffs in Tibet and very important to Tibetan. It is rich in nutrition and has large heat which is suitable for allaying hunger and keeping out cold. Generally, Tibetan people eat Tsampa every day and every meals. As the Tsampa is very simple to prepare, it is a convenient food for Tibetan, especially the herds such as sherpas, nomads and other nomadic people in Tibet.

 

The Tsampa is made of highland barley, a kind of cereal crops. With abundant nourishments and outstanding curative and health care function, highland barley is the main material of making Tsampa. The barley flour usually mixed with salty Tibetan butter tea.

 

Tsampa is goluptious, crisp and sweet. Tibetan people like to have Tsampa assistant with dishes, butter tea and capsicum. When eating Tsampa, Tibetan people would put some butter tea at the bottom of the bowl and put some barley flour, then stir gently with the forefinger and knead with the hand.

 

When you make a Lhasa tour, you can go to a sweet tea house in Lhasa, order a cup of sweet tea and some Tsampa, sit down to enjoy the food as local people do. 

 

Tibetan Sausage

Tibetan Sausage was created by Tibetan nomads more than 1000 years ago. The main method to make Tibetan sausage is to prime different materials into the fresh animal guts such as sheep, pig or cow. When put the stuffing into the intestines, people will put some assistant ingredients such as salt, pepper powder, chopped ginger and so on. The Tibetan sausages can be either steamed or roasted and then cut into slices to eat. Tibetan usually make this food in batches during new-year time. The Tibetan sausage taste fresh and goluptious and not oily, which is a nice cold dish. Then it can be stored for about one year. Therefore, you can buy some Tibetan sausage and take back home when you travel to Tibet.

 

According to different materials, the sausage can be divided into several categories. The sausage filling with sheep blood called Blood Sausage; and the one that stuffed with dogmeat named Meat Sausage; sausage which is filled with flour paste and edible oil is called Four Sausage; the one mainly filled with sheep fat together with some chopped meat named Oil Sausage; sausage stuffed with chopped animal liver called Liver Sausage.