What is Tibetan Butter-Yak Tea
Butter tea, also known as Po cha (Tibetan tea), or cha süma (“churned tea” in Tibetan), is a drink of the people in the Himalayan regions of Nepal, Bhutan, India, and also Tibet.
Tibet is a region in Asia covering much of the Tibetan Plateau. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people and also known as the highest region on Earth.
Because Tibet has an average elevation of 5,000 m (16,000 ft), butter tea is perfectly fit for the human body in these high altitudes. For it contains the needed nutrients such as butter (protein, calcium and fat), salt, and tea.
Yak
The English word “Yak” originated from the Tibetan word “Yag”. This actually refers to the male “Yag” though in fact the female yak is known as “Dri” in the Tibetan language.
Yak butter is butter made from the milk of the domesticated yak known as Dri. Milk from the domesticated yak is said to have about twice the fat content from cow’s milk, and produced butter with a texture closer to cheese.
Custom
Drinking butter tea has become a regular part of Tibetan life. A Tibetan will typically enjoy several bowlfuls of this beverage before going to work. And it’s also a mainstay drink commonly served for guests.
According to the Tibetan custom, butter tea is drunk in separate sips, and after each sip, the host refills the bowl to the brim. Thus, the guest never drains his bowl. If the guest does not wish to drink, the best thing to do is leave the tea untouched until the time comes to leave and then drain the bowl. In this way, the host will not be offended.
Making Tibetan Butter-Yak Tea
The main ingredients are: water tea leaves (in Tibet usually using tea bricks from an area called Pemagul) yak butter and salt.
Preparation: Boiling the tea leaves in water for half a day until reaching a dark brown color. It is skimmed and poured into a cylinder with fresh yak butter and salt. Then shake till the liquid that has the thickness of oil then pour it into tea-pots or jars.
Nowadays for efficient purposes, you can use a blender to mix the ingredients. Also, if tea leaves and Yak butter are not available in your area, they can be substituted using tea bags and other butter available in the market.
