Tibetan Local Foods

Is your trip to any place even complete if you have not introduced your taste buds to the local cuisine of the place? Your palette deserves a chance to experience the variety and the freshness that you will get after eating local food of the place. Tibet will surprise you with a large variety of Tibetan local foods that will linger on your taste buds forever! Since Tibetan culture heavily derives from the cultural traits of its neighbors, the food will not be very different from those that are found in its neighboring countries.

Tsampa

Tsampa is considered as the staple food for many Tibetans and consists of highland barley. Generally served with Tibetan butter tea, the dish is prepared by mixing butter tea and Tsampa flour. The delicacy is high on calorie and can be a full meal since it has high quantities of fat, protein and carbohydrate. Without trying Tsampa, you would not know about the basic food that the locals eat to survive on the harsh highland.

Tibetan Yak Meat

Yaks are raised as livestock in Tibet and are one of the trademark ingredients in Tibetan dishes. The meat is very nutritious, chewy and is shredded before springing it with salt and pepper. The meat is hanged on a rope for some time to let it air dry and then used in various dishes, which are a must-eat on your trip! Not only for the tender meat, but yaks are also used for milk.

Yamdrok lake and Tibetan Mastiff dog

Thukpa

Thukpa, or noodle soup, can be found in every tea house in Lhasa. Served with a cup of Tibetan sweet tea, Thukpa is the staple food for Tibetan pilgrims. With a combination of soup and noodles, it is a wholesome meal. Most tea houses in Tibet bustle with tourists and locals, and you will see around 70% of them sitting with a bowl of Thukpa, a classic example of Tibetan local food. The noodles are made from a dough of edible alkaline water and wheat flour and are added to a bowl of soup consisting of bone broth, veggies and shreds of yak meat.

Take a trip with us and bite into the exotic Tibetan food while enjoying the exquisite beauty of this holy land!