Tibet Tour – Tibetan Food

Tibet has higher altitude, thinner air, less precipitation and stronger sunshine compared to the other regions at the same latitude. Tibetan has special dietary habit because of the special geographical location and climatic features here. Zanba (roasted barley flour), Tibetan butter tea, barley wine, red meat and so on are traditional Tibetan style food. This article presents some traditional Tibetan food:

Tibetan Food – Barley

Barley is the main raw material of the most typical Tibetan style food – zanba. Barley is full of nutrients. Tibetan people would take roasted barley with Tibetan butter tea. Zanba is the main food of Tibetans. As one of the most typical Tibetan style food, zanba was listed on the menu of the hotels in Tibet. It has been one of the most important foods to entertain the guests.

Zanba acted as the carrier of blessing in the traditional religious festivals. Tibetan people would throw zanba to pray for peace and happiness on important days.

Tibet Tour – Red Meat

Tibetans mainly eat beef and mutton. People in pasturing area take more than 30 kilograms of red meat every month averagely. Tibetan people mainly eat meat in the winter while they would take a large amount of yoghourt, raw milk and zanba in the summer.

As we all known, red meat (beef and mutton) is rich in calorific power, they could help Tibetans to resistant the cold in the plateau area,

Tibetan Food – Butter

Butter is a necessary food for Tibetans. It is cream extract from the milk and contains 80 to 90 percent of fat. Tibetans mainly use butter to make Tibetan butter tea. They also make some fried food with butter. The lamps in the monasteries also take butter as the fuel.

It is an old tradition to entertain the gusts with Tibetan butter tea in Tibet. Butter is one of the most necessaries on Tibetan festivals and some important ceremonies. Tibetans would make some beautiful and crisp dessert with butter.