Ghee

Ghee

　　Ghee is extracted from cow or yak milk. The traditional method involves pouring the milk into a specially made large barrel called a "xuedong" and stirring it vigorously up and down hundreds of times until the oil separates from the water. A pale yellow layer of fat rises to the surface, which is then skimmed off, cooled, and becomes ghee. Ghee is highly nutritious. Tibetan people (especially those in pastoral areas) rely on ghee as a major source of calories aside from meat. There are many ways to consume ghee, but the most common is by drinking butter tea. During festivals and celebrations, ghee is also used to fry pastries called "kasa." For Tibetans, ghee is extremely versatile—it is a key ingredient in making tea and cooking, and even the liquid ghee used to refill lamps on altars when worshiping in temples.