Tibetan Tuba

Tibetan Tuba

　　Tibetan Tuba

　　It can be considered the Tibetan equivalent of a reunion meal, typically enjoyed on the 29th day of the 12th lunar month, similar to dumplings in inland China. Some dough tubas are stuffed with stones, chili peppers, charcoal, or yarn. Each item carries a specific meaning: a stone signifies a hard heart in the coming year, yarn a soft heart, charcoal a black heart, and chili a sharp tongue. This is a form of dining entertainment where whoever gets any of these items must immediately spit it out, leading to bursts of laughter and a livelier festive atmosphere. Most Tibetans eat three meals a day. When it comes to beef and mutton, Tibetans value freshness. In everyday dining, meat is not eaten with chopsticks but served in large chunks on a plate and sliced with a knife. Tibetan blood sausage is made by mixing minced beef or mutton with the animal’s blood and stuffing it into small intestines. For meat preservation, drying is the most common method. Usually, beef or mutton slaughtered after winter arrives and not consumed immediately is cut into strips and hung in ventilated areas to air-dry. Making air-dried meat in winter not only helps preserve it but also causes the blood within the meat to freeze, maintaining the fresh color and flavor of the dried meat.