Food and Dining in Tibet

Cuisine includes traditional Tibetan, Chinese, and Western cuisines, as well as Indian, Nepaleses,  Himalayan, and other cuisines. All Tibetan foods are worthy of experiencing at least once while you are there, even yak butter tea. We highly recommend the Tibetan restaurants in Lhasa with their excellent traditional meals. You will notice of a lack of fish, this is for both cultural and religious reasons. In general, strict vegetarians will find food choices very limited.

Tibetan
The staple of Tibetan food, tsampa, is considered by some to be an un-appetizing mixture of barley flour and yak butter. It is eaten by Tibetans at nearly every meal and because it travels well, is the food of choice on the road. Tsamba is made of roasted barley, with the husk, ground into very fine flour usually using a hand mill. Tasmpa is served with the infamous yak butter tea, an acquired taste unpalatable to most foreigners. To eat tsampa, hold the the bowl provided in your left hand and use your right hand to mix the flour with a little tea, rolling the mixture into small lumps. Use only the fingers of your RIGHT hand when touching food. Eat the lump of tsampa/tea with your fingers.

Tibetan Butter Tea
Bring the taste of Tibet into your own home with this quick recipe. Boil 1 TB loose black tea leaves for 10 minutes. Strain. Add 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 TB butter, and salt. Tibetans drink their tea very salty.

Other popular foods you will find in a Tibetan restaurant include dried meat, roast sheep intestines, sheep blood soup, yak meat, ox tongue, rice fried with yak butter, yogurt, and cheese. You will also frequently see momos, Tibetan dumplings, and thenthuk, Tibetan noodles.

Qinke wine, a local Tibetan favorite, is another "acquired" taste that many travelers can't swallow without a grimace. An alternative is Tibetan barley beer, known as chang. Quality varies but mostly you can expect a mild beer that is slightly sweet served out of a can.

Chinese
A great choice for variety is to visit the many Chinese eateries, which serve a variety of meat and vegetable dishes. Sichuan and Guangdong cuisine are the most prevalent, although purist connoisseurs of either cuisine will notice the less spicy nature. Fresh vegetables are difficult to obtain so many of the dishes include more meat than vegetable.

Western
Western-style guest houses in Lhasa serve up a variety of Western food including pancakes, apple pies, and yak burgers. You can also find soda and other snacks for those junk food fixes.

Dining Etiquette
If you are invited into a home, remember that it is considered rude to ask for tea or food directly. You must wait to be offered food. Additionally, you will be considered rude for requesting seconds. If there is additional food, you will be offered food. If you are in a Sherpa home, you must decline the first offer of food, regardless of how hungry you are. To do otherwise is to insult your hosts. Informal social rules denote that is appropriate to refuse three times and accept on the fourth time. Use only the fingers of your RIGHT hand when touching food. If you are served the tail of a white sheep, it means that they are honoring you as the guest of honor.

Health Tips
As anywhere in the world, eating away from home runs some risk of gastrointestinal problems. If you want to make sure that you don't spend more time in the bathroom than on the trail, do not eat raw fruits, vegetables, and salads that you haven't peeled yourself. Make sure your meat is cooked and hot when you receive it. Avoid foods made with dairy. Don't drink beverages with ice. All that said, don't avoid an establishment in Tibet just because of the shabby decor. Many times, they have the best food in town!

Water
At high altitude, make sure you drink plenty of water. Bring a water filter or purifying tablets for times when bottled water isn't available. Do not brush your teeth or rinse your toothbrush in tap water.

Khabtse
A traditional homemade Losar bread, sold on street corners. While they look like loaves of bread, the deep-fried cookies are eaten as sweets and also served at Tibetan celebrations.