Tibetan cuisine is largely based on the ancient knowledge of Tibetan medicine, which deeply studies the properties and interaction of objects and phenomena, primary elements and their energies in relation to human health.
According to this knowledge, human health directly depends on the balance of "heat" and "cold", and by their properties food can be "warm" or "cold". Meals should be appropriate for the climate, season, time of day.
It is no secret that the sharply continental climate of the highlands is harsh and cold, respectively, in order to even out the balance, the kitchen must contain a lot of "warm".
So what is healthy in Tibetan cuisine? Tibetans practically do not eat raw, this is also due to the climate. Traditionally in Tibet, steamers are used, which allows you to better preserve the beneficial properties of the products.
4 recipes of Tibetan cuisine with "Cleo" were shared by the chef of the "Tibet" restaurant Dhondup Pempa.
1. Briani rice with vegetables and cold kefir soup
Composition:
- Mixed vegetables (any vegetables to taste) - 150 g
- Rice Basmati 200 g, cooking water
- Onions, ginger, garlic (optional)
- Chili pepper (optional)
- Tomato 1 pc.
- Natural yogurt 1 tbsp
- Spice mix for Bryani
- Vegetable oil 1 tbsp
- Salt
- Cashews 1 tbsp
- Cilantro
1. Pour some vegetable oil into a preheated pan.
2. Fry finely chopped onions, ginger, garlic until golden brown, add finely chopped tomato, fry a little more, add a vegetable mix, a special mixture of spices for Briyani, 1 tbsp. yogurt, 1 tbsp. cashew nuts, mix everything thoroughly, cook for a few minutes.
3. Then add to the resulting mixture Basmati rice, cooked separately (Basmati is cooked for about 20 minutes), finely chopped fresh mint, salt, simmer for 10 minutes - done!
4. Before serving, you can drizzle with lemon juice and garnish with a sprig of cilantro.
5. Pilaf Bryani successfully sets off Khir ka Raita - cold soup with kefir. For its preparation, finely-finely chop a cucumber, a tomato, knead in a salted kefir base.
2. Tofu with vegetables in a spicy sauce
Composition:
- Broccoli 40 g
- Cauliflower 40 g
- Carrots 35 g
- Green beans 25 g
- Chinese cabbage 20 g
- Tofu 40 g
- Champignons 30 g
- Vegetable oil 5 g
- Ginger (root) 5 g
- Water 50 ml
- Hot sauce 5 ml
- Corn starch 5 g
2. Add vegetables (fry with ginger for 1-2 minutes).
3. Add water, salt, hot sauce, the whole contents boil for 5-7 minutes.
4. Add lightly fried tofu.
5. Add cornstarch, stirring for 1 minute.
6. Put the finished dish on a plate.
3.Norling salad
Composition:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Carrot
- Champignon
- A tomato
- Green bean
- Black tibetan mushrooms
- Sesame oil, salt
1. We wash vegetables, clean. We cut carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms.
2. You need to boil all vegetables together for about two minutes. Vegetables retain their nutrients and vitamins through short cooking. Suitable for lovers of healthy food.
3. After that, drain the water, season with sesame sauce (sesame oil, Tibetan salt).
4. Put it nicely on a plate.
4. Family soup Gya-Kok
Family Tibetan soup for several (4-5) persons is served in a special heated tureen.
It is being prepared for the holidays, and after it, plans for the next year are discussed in the family circle and good wishes are expressed.
Traditionally, the soup is served by the eldest.
The soup is rich in ingredients and nutritious, yet surprisingly light and original. The soup is cooked on the basis of chicken broth.
Vegetables are placed in a slightly salted boiling broth: broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, green beans, spinach, shiitake mushrooms and champignons.
All this is cooked for 4 minutes, then separately boiled ones are added: chicken, lamb and shrimp. It boils for about 5 more minutes.
Glass soy noodles are added, cook for another 3 minutes over low heat. At the very end, finely chopped tofu cubes and an omelet cut into thin strips, pre-fried on both sides, are added. Soup, if desired, can be prepared in spicy or not spicy broth.
Tibetan cuisine is quite different from its neighbors, as only a few grains (other than rice) grow at this height.
Tibetan cuisine is fairly balanced and moderate. It is not oversaturated with spices and spices, while the inhabitants of the region cannot imagine themselves without vegetables and meat. Tibetans adhere to Buddhism. This religion does not prohibit specific foods like Islam excludes pork. You can eat anything, however, in Tibet they almost never eat sweets and fruits.
National dishes of Tibet
Momo is a type of steamed dumplings.
RECIPE IN PHOTOS:
PREPARE MOMO FOR STEAM
Tyeong Hook is a type of soup that is often prepared in cold weather, with noodles and a variety of vegetables.
In large Tibetan cities, many restaurants serve Sichuan Chinese food. Western influences and fusion dishes such as fried yak and fries are also popular. However, many small restaurants serving traditional Tibetan food still resist both in the countryside and in the cities.
Meat dishes made from yak, goat, or lamb, which are often dried or made into a spicy roast with potatoes.
Most Tibetans drink a lot of tea made from milk and yak butter with salt (chauima) every day. Jasmine tea is also very popular. Tea in briquettes is produced by a method only remotely related to the production of China or the island of Ceylon. A large handful of tea is crumbled into boiling water and allowed to simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the shade becomes almost black. At this stage, add a pinch of salt; Tibetans never put sugar in their tea, only salt. They are said to sometimes add a little baking soda to give the drink a pinkish hue. It is very rare to drink tea without oil in it.
Alcoholic drinks include:
Chang is a beer usually brewed from barley.
Pingjopo is a rice wine.
National products of Tibet
Paley is the bread of central Tibet that is baked in a skillet rather than in an oven.
The most important grain crop is barley. Barley flour dough, called tsampa, is the staple food of Tibet. It is either rolled into noodles or steamed dumplings called momo. Mustard is grown in Tibet, which is actively used in national dishes. Yak milk yoghurt, butter and cheese are commonly consumed, and well-aged yoghurt is considered prestige.
History and traditions
The history of Tibet itself is about 4000 years old. She directly influenced the cuisine of the country, firmly rooting many products and national dishes there.
Eating is peculiar. Before you sit down at the table and eat, a prayer is said. The largest plate with your favorite dish is placed in the center of the table, and everyone takes for himself exactly as much as he can eat. It is noteworthy that the inhabitants of Tibet practically do not drink alcohol, because it is not combined with prayer. Traditionally, alcohol is replaced by rice wine - a light (only five degrees) exotic drink.
Tibetans eat with chopsticks and spoons. Devices common to Europeans are extremely rare. The profession of a cook or culinary specialist in Tibet is not considered prestigious. True, it is worthy of respect. They say that men in this country cook much better than women. Despite this opinion, in an ordinary family a woman - the keeper of home comfort and hearth - "cooks". But on holidays, the head of the family takes on the responsibility of a home cook - this is the sacred duty of a man.
Every diner and restaurant in cities such as Lhasa, Shigatse, Zedang is full of Tibetan traditions and flavor. Attributes of culture hang on the walls, and the menu contains original national dishes and drinks. Most often, the dining table in such places, as well as in ordinary houses, is made of wood. The work must be done really flawlessly, because the Tibetans take the meal seriously. The table is decorated with beautiful drawings and ornaments that simply cannot be confused with anything else.
Tse tofu
Recipe from
Ratatouille
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch of chard (beetroot)
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
chopped fresh ginger
2 tbsp. soy sauce
4 x 350g hard tofu, diced
1/4 cup green peas
1 tbsp. a spoonful of vegetable oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Tse tofu photo
COOKING:
Wash the chard and tear it apart, removing the stems.
Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the onions in it, along with paprika, ginger and 2 cloves of garlic.
Add soy sauce, tofu and peas.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in another skillet.
Add black pepper.
Add wet chard and stir well.
Cover and simmer for 30 seconds.
Place the herbs on a plate and top with the tofu mixture.
http://gurmanika.com/recepty/tse-tofu
Carrot halva
INGREDIENTS:
900 grams of grated carrots
4 glasses of milk
2 cups sugar
1.5 tbsp. milk powder
1 teaspoon of cardamom
3 tbsp. tablespoons of butter
nuts for garnish
Carrot halva photo
COOKING:
Place the carrots and milk in a deep saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower the temperature. Leave to simmer until the carrots have absorbed the milk. Stir occasionally. Then add sugar, milk powder, cardamom to the pan, mix everything well and leave on the fire for another 5-7 minutes. Then remove from heat, let cool slightly.
Heat the butter in a large skillet, then add the carrot mixture. Fry until mixture is brown, then remove from heat. Halva can already be served on the table. You can put halva in a special shape, decorate with nuts on top.
Recipe: Chicken Momo
You will always find it in the category of our site - Pelmeni and dumplings. For cooking you will need: a double boiler. On average, it takes 1 hour and 40 minutes to cook. The ingredient list is for 4 servings. This recipe applies to Tibetan cuisine.
Ingredients:
For filling:
400 gr chicken fillet
1 large onion, finely chopped
3-5 cm chopped ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/3 cup green onions
1 tsp butter
1/4 cup water
3 celery stalks, chopped
salt
For the test:
3/4 cup water
2.5 cups flour
Cooking method:
Finely chop and mix all the ingredients for the filling.
Roll out the dough into balls with a diameter of 2.5 cm. Roll out from the middle, put 1 tbsp. fillings and blind.
Cook the momo in a double boiler for 15-20 minutes.
http://foodzona.ru/recipes/13968
Dish Recipe: Soup
Ingredients:
tomatoes 4 pcs
canned green peas 1 cup
onion 1 head
butter 40 gr
1/2 cup cream
ground black pepper
salt to taste
You will always find it in the category of our site - Soups and broths. For cooking you will need: a saucepan, a frying pan. The ingredient list is for 4 servings. This recipe applies to Tibetan cuisine.
Rub the tomatoes through a sieve.
2. Cut the onion into strips and fry.
3. Add green peas, rub tomatoes, pour in 3 cups of hot water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
4. Serve with cream and toast.
Tibetan tea is not only exotic, but also delicious, so it should be prepared at least once to experience the undeniable charm of this amazing drink.
Tibetan tea
Composition:
Milk 0.5 l
Water 0.5 l
Cloves 10-11 pcs
Cardamom 9-11 pcs
Dry ginger 0.5 tsp or 1 tbsp. l. fresh
Ground nutmeg 0.5 tsp
Green tea 2 tsp
Black tea 1 tsp
Preparation: Crush the cardamom seeds, then crush them in a mortar with cloves. Then you need to put an enamel pot of water on the fire and gradually throw cloves, cardamom, dry ginger and green tea into the water. All this should boil for a minute, then milk with black tea is added.
When the drink boils, add the nutmeg there. Once again, let the drink simmer for a bit. Then the fire turns off, and the dishes are left for 5 minutes. Strain the liquid into a ceramic bowl and taste it on an empty stomach in the morning without sugar.
GOOD HEALTH TO YOU, MY DEAR FRIENDS AND GUESTS !!!
Tibetan cuisine does not boast much fame: it is not distinguished by a special variety or rich assortment of spices. But it is healthy and nutritious food, which should be the cuisine of a people living in harsh conditions. Tibetans add a lot of meat and dairy products to many of their dishes, although more and more young people in Tibet are turning to vegetarianism. We want to introduce you to the most common Tibetan dishes.
Tsampa
Tsampa (or tsampa) is the staple daily food of the Tibetans. Tsampa is a flour made from lightly toasted barley. The dish of the same name is prepared from it, adding to Tibetan tea with yak butter. A mixture of flour and tea makes something like a thick nutritious porridge. Some people add pieces of dried cheese or sugar to it. You cannot come to Tibet and not try tsampa at least once, because it is unofficially considered a Tibetan national dish. Tsapma is the most Tibetan food, it is not just a dish, it is something that unites the Tibetan people: people living in different regions separated by mountain ranges, speaking different dialects, often similar to different languages, professing different directions of Tibetan Buddhism, everyone loves it equally dish. The Tibetans even have a special dish - a bowl with a lid, in which tsampa is mixed and served.
________________________________________________________
Tibetan butter tea
This yak oil-based drink is famous far beyond the Land of Snows. Tibetan nomads are especially fond of butter tea, as it is very nutritious and warms well in cold weather.
Depending on the area, tea can be prepared with or without salt. Many foreigners hesitate to try Tibetan tea. We still advise you to experiment at least once, just think at the same time that you are drinking broth.
________________________________________________________
Tibetan milk tea
Central Tibet is also very fond of drinking sweet milk tea, also known as ja ngarmo. This is an ordinary tea with milk, which is also loved by the British, and, unlike Tibetan tea with yak butter, it does not deter foreign guests. But in eastern Tibet: in the regions of Amdo Kham, tea with milk is not sweetened, but simply drunk or even slightly salted.
________________________________________________________
Momo
Momo or dumplings are any Tibetan's favorite dish. They, as a rule, are prepared for a holiday and sculpted, getting together with the whole family. Momo is served in almost any restaurant in Tibet and there are many different types of them: with potatoes, with lamb, with meat and vegetables, vegetarian and others and others, although initially momo was only a meat dish. Typically, momo is steamed, but sometimes fried momo is also found. Traditionally, momo is dipped in a hot chili paste and then washed down with meat broth or Tibetan tea.
________________________________________________________
Tukpa and Tentuk
Tukpa and Tentuk is a noodle soup commonly eaten during the afternoon for lunch or in the evening for dinner. The main ingredients are thick noodles, vegetables and meats: lamb, pork or yak.
This soup has several varieties, each with its own name. For example, in the tentuka, small dumplings are used instead of thick long noodles. A large plate of nutritious tukpa will warm anyone on a cool Tibetan evening.
________________________________________________________
Yogurt made from yak milk
Tibetan nomads prepare yogurt "scho" from yak milk. In summer, you can buy the freshest yoghurt directly from the nomads. But you can often try it in a restaurant: either in its usual form without additives, or mixed with sugar or rice.
________________________________________________________
Tibetan bread
There are many types of bread in Tibet. The most popular is pale, a round, dense roll of small size. Another popular type - tingmo - is also small and round, but, unlike the first, is much softer. Bread is usually served with food. On the Tibetan New Year, a special type of bread is baked - crispy kapse.
________________________________________________________
Beef and potatoes
It is a common ingredient in Tibetan cuisine. For example, the popular Tibetan dish shamdre consists of beef, rice and potatoes. It is very satisfying and nutritious. Tibetans generally love to eat potatoes and often cook them by themselves with a little hot spices.
________________________________________________________
Jerky meat
There is a lot of meat in the Tibetan diet, which is natural in the conditions in which they live. The most popular meats are yak, lamb and pork. Traditionally, in order for the meat to be stored well and for a long time, it is dried or dried. Then the dried meat is cut into pieces and added to various dishes. Often it is not prepared in any way, but simply eaten. Do not be surprised if visiting Tibetan nomads you are offered a huge piece of dried yak meat right on the bone and a knife.
________________________________________________________
Droma
Droma is a wild plant that is harvested from high-altitude pastures. Its roots are small, brown in color, with a grainy texture and taste similar to sweet potatoes. Droma is one of the rare sweet dishes in Tibet, it is usually served on a pad of rice, sprinkled with sugar and poured with melted butter. In addition to its sweetish taste, droma also boasts beneficial properties: it is rich in iron, protein and antioxidants.
________________________________________________________
Mushrooms
Mushrooms grow on the highland plains in summer. Nomads collect them when they graze yaks and sheep, and then sell them along the roads or in cities. Mushrooms are added to the stuffing of momo dumplings, and Tibetans also like to tear the legs off the mushrooms, add salt and oil and fry over the fire. It turns out very tasty! Pictured is a nutritious mushroom broth with goji berries and Chinese dates.
________________________________________________________
Vegetarian food
Nowadays, much more variety of foods have become available in Tibet, and now even here it is possible to live completely without eating meat. And although most Tibetans continue to eat traditional dishes that include a lot of meat, many young people believe that vegetarianism is the more correct path, consistent with their religion - Buddhism. In cities, shops and restaurants offer many options for vegetarian dishes from different cuisines: Nepalese, Indian, Sichuan. However, vegetarians traveling to areas more distant from civilization may not find a suitable option in the cafe. We recommend that committed vegetarians prepare for their trip to Tibet and stock up on plant-based protein sources such as peanut butter or nuts in advance.
Himalayas. Tibet. Something cosmic and unearthly sounds already in the names themselves. They attract travelers from all over the world. Before the magical charm of Tibet, no one could resist, including our team, which made a two-week trip to its ten cities.
1. In Tibet, everything is unusual and usual at the same time. The harsh climatic conditions, highlands, scorching sun, strong winds and sandy soil have a primary impact on the cuisine, which is not particularly diverse.
2. The basis of the diet is milk and yak meat, or rather, in the case of milk - not a yak, but a dri (lady yak, as the Tibetans themselves say), and barley flour. Sometimes goat and lamb are also used. Anywhere above 4000 meters above sea level, you will be offered exclusively dishes made from these products.
3. Typical Tibetan cafe. It should be noted that the cafe is very dirty. In the highlands, where it is far to go for water, you will be served common spoons and forks from the same bowl and there is no certainty that they were washed. A bit shocking at first, but then you don't even pay attention.
In large cities located a little lower, at an altitude of about 3600-3800 meters above sea level, you can already taste fruits and vegetables, most of which are imported there by the Chinese.
4. Menu. We are lucky as two of our company are studying Tibetan.
5. The most popular vegetables are tomatoes and onions. You can taste tomato soup everywhere, but the consistency and taste will be very different.
6. The soup is very tasty and sometimes so thick that it looks more like a sauce for meat. It can be both spicy and almost bland. This is probably the most delicious dish in Tibet.
7. And every morning in any cafe you will be offered an omelet. Where eggs are taken at an altitude of over 4000 m above sea level remains a mystery to us. We haven't seen a single chicken. Even the egg soup is actually a chopped omelet soup. It seems to me that they make it from dry mix and especially for foreigners. The Tibetans themselves start every morning with tsampa ...
Tsampa
8. Tsampa is the most common dish. This is far from a delicacy, and Tibetans eat it not because of a good life, but simply because often there is simply nothing more to eat.
9. Tsampa is a mixture of dree (female yak) milk, butter and barley flour. Barley, according to Tibetan medicine, is a good product to give strength. Barley is high in iron, and when consumed frequently, the traditional anemic problems associated with poor mountain nutrition are eliminated. In addition, barley is good at eliminating edema, which often develops in monks from a sedentary lifestyle and long sitting in one position. Iron also has a good effect on the lungs and bronchi, which are often problematic from mountain wind and cold.
By itself, barley (that is, if you eat it like porridge, boiling the usual barley) is considered "cold" in its properties. If you fry and grind the barley, then its properties will change to warming. This is very useful for meditators, since they often have fever in the head, and below the heart - continuous cold and problems with internal organs. They say that yogis have kidney problems - so to speak, an occupational disease.
10. Every morning in any cafe or dining room of the guesthouse you can be treated to tsampa. It tastes like ground oatmeal, which is given to babies up to one year old. We were treated to tsampa for free, this is the cheapest dish. You are served with a large bowl of flour, a thermos of salty Tibetan tea, sugar and butter, and you yourself mix the ingredients at your discretion - someone loves liquid, someone loves thick tsampa. Tibetans usually make very thick tsampa and eat it with their hands.
Momo
11. The second most popular national dish is momo dumplings. If there is only one dish that can be used to represent Tibetan cuisine, then this is it. Momo are steamed dumplings, served on any weekday and on holidays. There is only one exception - momo is never eaten on the first day of the new year, because the meat hidden in the dough denotes hidden luck.
12. Cooking momo takes a lot of time and effort, so several people are working on them at once. Men usually chop meat and women make dumplings. All the subtleties of the momo preparation technique are aimed at keeping the juices inside. Therefore, it is better to chop meat than to grind, and vegetables should be handled very carefully. Plus, momo shouldn't be overcooked.
There are also subtleties in eating momo. First you need to bite off a piece of dough and drink the juices, then scoop up the sauce and eat the rest. Momo is delicious in any way.
Thukpa
13. Another very popular dish is thukpa and thentuk soups, which differ in the shape of noodles. Long noodles are added to thukpa, and flat noodles are added to thukpu.
14. Thukpa with meat. One such portion replaces both the first and the second at once. The soup is very tasty, but with yak meat - not for everybody.
15. Thukpa with vegetables.
16. Wide noodle thukpa.
18. Chicken soup - oddly enough, the most unfortunate soup with a strange taste. Nobody could eat it.
Bread
19. Tibetans bake their own national bread, which, like in many Asian countries, is basically similar to our lavash. The only exception is tingmo steamed bread, which most likely also came from Chinese cuisine.
21. Steam toasted bread. Steam bread is very specific - we, for example, could not eat it. It tastes like soaked crackers.
In addition to momo and thukpa, you will be fed rice with meat or vegetables and noodles, which, again, spread under the influence of China. The portions are usually very large, and even a man needs one dish.
28. In some cafes closer to the border with Nepal, you can taste almost European cuisine. For example, fried fish with French fries.
29. Or fried potatoes. True, the Tibetans have problems with fried potatoes, especially those who live high in the mountains. We could not explain in any way that it should be fried longer. They ate almost raw, but in those conditions it was a delicacy too.
30. Some monasteries have their own kitchen, where you can have a very hearty lunch for 40 rubles. There was almost no money left, and for 40 rubles we got just such a portion of delicious rice and fried vegetables - this was, perhaps, our most delicious lunch.
Of course, the most popular beverage is tea. There are two unique types of tea in Tibet. The first is cha ngamo, for foreigners the Tibetans call it "sweet ti" ("sweet tea"). It consists of boiled milk of a female yak, butter, a little black tea and sugar. Very tasty and satisfying.
The second is cha suima, aka "tea with butter", "salty tea", "whipped tea". It is made from pressed pu-erh, which is boiled in milk, and then whipped together with ghee and salt in special wooden donmo churns. Nowadays, this traditional device has been replaced by an electric whisk, which is available in any family, because salty Tibetan tea is drunk in huge quantities by both adults and children. Tibetans carry thermos with such a drink everywhere: to work, in the field, on a walk. Any Tibetan will gladly treat you to tea with milk. It warms well, protecting from the piercing Tibetan wind. Cha suima is also used to make tsampa.
In Tibetan restaurants, you can find other drinks borrowed from India and China. For example, babao tea ("eight jewels") that came from Yunnan province. It is a traditional Chinese blend of eight kinds of flowers and dried fruits. You can also find tea with ginger and lemon, which is popular in India and Nepal, but it will be quite an expensive pleasure in these parts. Of course, civilization has penetrated even the most remote corners of the earth, and you can buy tea bags everywhere.
Chang
32. Probably, the story about Tibetan cuisine would not be complete without mentioning the Tibetan low-alcohol drink Chang, or Ne Chang. This barley wine, which is often called beer in the West, has a peculiar taste and is not very strong - only 3.8%. In stores, you can buy it in blue or red cans, and in restaurants you can try homemade chang. The traditions of its use differ slightly from region to region - for example, in Shigatse it is customary to add a little tsampa to a glass of chang, which will never be done in Lhasa. But in any case, there are a lot of chang lovers in Tibet. As for real beer, here it is represented by only one local brand - "Lhasa". However, finding popular European brands of beer is not a problem here either.
Lunch costs vary depending on location and food availability. On average, lunch costs 25-40 yuan. In big cities, you can buy a large portion of French fries on the street for 5 yuan, or walk into a local eatery, which is 10 square meters, and buy a huge portion of soup for 7-10 yuan.
Bon appetit and amazing travel!
Photo: Ekaterina Ageeva / Text: Sergey Martynov
Liked? Do you want to keep abreast of updates? Subscribe to our page on
As you can easily guess - a person does not live in a single spiritual way, and this article will focus on food.
Tibetan cuisine is exotic for a European. Something that beckons with mystery and incomprehensibility.
Tibetan cuisine differs from other oriental ones in its moderation and balance. Tibetans do not overuse spices and spices. But they eat meat and vegetables in large quantities. The most popular vegetables are bell peppers, carrots, cauliflower and cabbage, corn, spinach; from meat products - yak and lamb. The most common meat is yak meat. It is prepared in a special way: it is boiled, cut into pieces, onions, tomatoes, ginger are added, fried and served with bread or noodles.
Buddhism, as a soft and tolerant religion, does not provide for prohibitions on food, as, for example, on pork in Islam. You can eat everything. But in Tibet, fruit and sweets are practically not eaten. The only national dessert is brushwood with honey. Fish and seafood are unpopular in Tibet, they are simply not there.
The meal ceremony usually looks like this: before sitting down to the table, everyone says a prayer. A large dish is placed in the center, and everyone puts on their plate as much as they can eat. Tibetans eat with chopsticks or a spoon. Tibetans practically do not use alcohol, since it cannot be combined with prayer. The traditional drink of Tibet is the so-called "rice wine". To prepare this drink, they take boiled rice, add special spices to it, keep it for a week, then defend it, and the result is a low-alcohol (five degrees) exotic drink. For the rest, they drink everything the same as Western people - coffee, juices, mineral water. Special attention to tea. "Real" Tibetan tea is no less exotic than "real" rice wine. It is officially called "Tibetan tea made from freshly brewed tea leaves with oil and salt." The taste corresponds to the name.
The main dish among the Tibetans is tsampa. It is made from barley flour, yak oil, tea or barley beer. The result is something like a dough, some Tibetan peoples add a little barley flour to tea with butter and milk and it turns out something like a very liquid porridge, hearty and high-calorie. In large cities of Tibet, such as Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse, Tsetang, as well as in guest houses, where tourists often stop for lunch, food is varied, in other places the menu is limited to momo and tukpa. Momo are similar to our dumplings stuffed with meat or vegetables. Tukpa - noodle soup with meat or vegetables. And a number of rice and noodles dishes.
In principle, everyone can learn how to cook Tibetan dishes. But this is complicated by two points. First, there are no special cooking schools or recipe books in Tibet. The profession of a cook is usually passed down from father to son, along with all the culinary secrets. Secondly, it is said that the taste of food prepared by a non-Tibetan, even if according to all the rules, is not at all what the taste of real Tibetan food should be.
The profession of a cook in Tibet itself is respected, but far from the most prestigious. It is believed that men cook better than women, but in an ordinary Tibetan family it is usually the wife who cooks. This is one of her daily duties. On holidays and special occasions, the sacred cooking process is taken over by the man. They say it tastes better.
Loading ...