Tibetan Tsampa from Garze

Tibetan Tsampa from Garze

　　"Tsampa" is the Tibetan transliteration of roasted barley flour. It is a staple food that the Tibetan people eat every day.

When visiting a Tibetan family, the hosts will surely serve you fragrant butter tea and roasted barley flour with both hands, along with golden butter and creamy-yellow "chura" (a type of dried cheese), all piled high on the table. First, pour a small bowl of tea, then add butter, roasted barley flour, chura, and sugar. Mix them together in the bowl with your fingers, then shape the mixture into long oily-flour balls to eat. This is the uniquely prepared "buttered tsampa," also simply called "tsampa." It is simple to prepare, easy to carry, and can be stored for a long time without spoiling, making it well-suited for the mobile lifestyle of herders in pastoral areas.

Tsampa tastes soft, fragrant, and delicious—the aroma of butter, the tanginess of chura, and the sweetness of sugar create a delightful flavor. As it is a mix of high-fat, high-protein, and sugary ingredients, it is highly nutritious, calorie-rich, and serves both to satisfy hunger and to keep you warm.