Flavor Food TourThe unique plateau ecosystem of Tibet has an impact on the unique cuisine and culture of the Tibetan nation. The common cuisine here not only symbolizes the crystallization of wisdom for survival but also bears thousands of years of cultural memory. Let’s learn about the traditional Tibetan cuisine and prepare for Tibet tourism someday.
I. Flavors of the Plateau
The following six classic Tibetan dishes are selected, from the production process to flavor symbolism, to lead you to appreciate the food magic of the snowy plateau.
1. Tsampa
Production process: Select highland barley, wash and fry it, then grind it into powder. When drinking, add butter tea, milk residue, or white sugar into the bowl, and knead into a ball by hand to shape.
Special flavor: In the mouth, it is soft and delicate, and the highland barley caramel flavor and the milk fragrance of butter mix well, with the sweetness after chewing noticeable. Sweetness and saltiness flexibility in features make it a perfect one for Tibetans to consume as dry food while grazing.
Dietary wisdom: Highland barley has great cold resistance, and the characteristics of tsampa that do not need steaming and cooking are best adapted to the plateau nomadic mode of life. Its rich dietary fiber can relieve the pain of altitude sickness.
2. Butter tea
Production process: Mix yak milk butter with tea soup prepared with brick tea, add salt, and repeatedly beat it until it gets emulsified and assumes a dense milky appearance.
Special flavor: The salty and rich flavor is permeated with tea aroma, and the oil greasiness is resolved by the tea soup. The aroma lingers on the lips and teeth after consumption, and the warmth spreads throughout the body in an instant.
Diet wisdom: Each cup of butter tea contains 400-500 calories, which can not only replenish the energy consumption on the plateau but also relieve plateau reactions such as headaches. Tibetans have the saying that “a day without tea will cause stagnation.”.
3. Yak Yogurt
Yak milk manufacturing process: Yak milk is naturally fermented for 24 hours, and a golden color milk skin appears on the surface, with a cheese-like thick consistency.
Unique flavor: The acidity strikes the senses immediately, and the milk scent manifests when the sweetness re-emerges. It is best dusted with white sugar or mixed with tsampa in order to reduce the acidity, and it becomes fresher after keeping it in the refrigerator.
Food culture: Not only is it a daily drink, but also necessary to use during celebrations.
II. Origin of Plateau Food Culture
Environmental adaptability: The extreme environment above 4,000 meters above sea level leads Tibetans to select high-calorie foods (the fat content of yak meat is 6%-8%), and the β-glucan content of highland barley is 50 times that of wheat, which effectively improves immunity.
Ingredient shortage: Vegetables are difficult to grow here, so nutrients have to be saved through fermentation (e.g., yogurt) and air drying (e.g., beef jerky).
III. Precautions
Here are several Tibet tourism precautions.
1.Preventing Altitude Sickness
Stop intense exercise 10 days before traveling to Tibet.
Avoid drinking, bathing, and brisk walking when you reach the plateau.
Keep a calm mind and drink warm water in greater amounts.
2.Symptom Treatment
For a minor headache, you can have Gaoyuanan or a glucose solution. For serious situations, you need oxygen and medical assistance.
It is not recommended that patients with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or those who have not yet recovered from a cold go to Tibet.
Conclusion
These delicacies with the flavor of survival not only give us a taste pleasure but also open a key to Tibetan culture. If you are concerned about Tibet, you can contact us for more information. We are a professional Chinese travel agency with many years of experience. We have multilingual tour guides and a mature service system. We will make perfect memories of your Tibetan trip.
