Tibet Food

Because of its special geographical location, Tibet is not conducive to the growth of ordinary plants. The main crop is highland barley, so the staple food here is scarce, and most of the food is meat and dairy. Beef, mutton, ghee, glutinous rice cake, and tea are known as the "four treasures" of the Tibetan diet.

Restaurants in Tibet are Tibetan restaurants, Sichuan restaurants, and Nepalese restaurants. Lhasa and Nyingchi have a wide variety of food and many restaurants to choose from. Lhasa is the place with the best dining conditions in Tibet. Western restaurants are mostly concentrated in Beijing Road, where there are many tourists. Almost every hotel restaurant serves Western food, and there are relatively clean Tibetan restaurants from Barkhor Street to Beijing Middle Road.

Here are some recommendations of Tibetan food.

Tibetan noodle is a traditional food popular in Tibetan areas. The main ingredients are wheat and flour, which need to be cooked in advance, then dried, and put into boiling beef soup when eating. Tibetan noodles have always been the staple food in any sweet teahouse in Lhasa.

If you go to Nyingchi, don't miss Lulang Stone Pot Chicken. It is the most famous local food. The stone pot used by Lulang stone pot chicken is expensive, and the chickens in the stone pot are unique to the snowy plateau.

                              Tibetan Noodle                                                    Lulang Stone Pot Chicken

Air Dried Meat: Beef and mutton in Tibet contain many trace elements that other meats do not have. Tibetans hang fresh beef and mutton strips in the shade to naturally dry them at the end of the year. They will be crisp and sweet when they eat them in February and March next year.

As one of the traditional staple foods of Tibetan herders, Tibetan Tsampa(Zanba) is simple and delicious, which is deeply loved by Tibetans. Zanba is similar to fried noodles. First, the highland barley is fried and then ground into powder, and add ghee, and milk residue in it. Finally, add the white sugar, and knead it into a small ball.

                            Air Dried Meat                                                                  Tibetan Tsampa(Zanba)

In the streets of Lhasa, stalls selling cold noodles and bean jelly can be seen everywhere. Cold noodles are made of wheat and flour, while bean jelly is made of pea powder or sweet potato powder. Whether it is cold noodles or bean jelly, it is usually eaten with pepper. Pepper is a type of seasoning that is soaked by Tibetans, which gives it a fresh taste.

Butter tea is a traditional beverage in Tibet. It is made by combining strong tea with yak butter and salt. It is delicious to eat with Zanba. Don't underestimate this bowl of butter tea. It can quench thirst, and relieve the sensation of greasy and hunger.  

                        Cold Noodles and Bean Jelly                                                          Butter tea