subject: Tasting The Local Cuisine During Your Tibet Tour [print this page] If you are planning on visiting Tibet then you must taste the local cuisine offered here. During your Tibet tour you will be fascinated by the exquisite food items that are served in the local restaurants.
If you have planned a tour to the Himalayan kingdom of Tibet then you have made the right decision. During your Tibet tour you can enjoy yourself thoroughly by going for shopping and buying exclusive knick-knacks. However, if you are the adventurous sort then you can choose to go on mountaineering trips and trekking. But, those who are complete foodies can visit every nook and corner of Tibet and taste some of the excellent food items that are served up in little restaurants.
Tibetan cuisine is very aromatic and light. The texture of the food is essentially crisp and sweet and it is an absolute favorite among the locals. Most food that you will taste during your Tibet tour is deep fried or boiled because it can be difficult to stir-fry stuff when you are on a plateau. A staple Tibetan meal consists of vegetables, meat and drinks. Tibetans have wheat, barley, and rice. They generally have a food made of barley which is known as Tsamba. It is basically stir-fried barley. This food is often served with yak butter tea. At restaurants you will find they are serving half a bowl of yak butter tea with tsamba added to it. Stir and then crush it up and it is ready to be taken. You will find that tsamba is thrown into air during festivals for good luck.
To fight the cold, Tibetans eat a lot of meat. Meat of sheep and yaks is the most preferred choice. However, goat meat is not very much preferred among them. Eating horses and donkeys are an absolute taboo. During your Tibet tour you will find that people in some areas do not eat fish because they consider it to be the incarnation of water god. Then again, in some areas people do not eat eggs or even chicken. Taboos on food differ from one area to another. So, you got to be careful regarding what you order. Tibetan often indulges in eating raw meat. The meat is cut in the winter and then they hang them up to air dry. In the cold the meat stays fresh and slowly it starts to dry. By, next spring, the people can eat the meat directly or cook it.
For drinks, Tibetans often choose to drink Chang which is a kind of low-alcohol liquor which is brewed by using fermented barley. This drink is enjoyed by everyone. This drink is part of every religious ceremony and festivals. Yak butter tea is a daily drink that is highly popular among Tibetans. When they make the tea they put in the yak butter and then heat it up to thaw. It is very easy and full of calories. It will help you to stay warm. If you are going for Tibet trekking you can stock up some of this tea for yourself so that you may stay warm during your journey.
However, if you are not keen on tasting the local cuisine during your Tibet tour you can always choose to eat at restaurants that serve up food catering to the taste of the Tourists.
