Butter tea

Butter tea, also known as po cha (Tibetan: བོད་ཇ་, Wylie: bod ja , "Tibetan tea"), cha süma (Tibetan: ཇ་སྲུབ་མ་, Wylie: ja srub ma , "churned tea"), Mandarin Chinese: sūyóu chá (酥油茶) or gur gur in local Ladakhi terms, is a drink of the people in the Himalayan regions of Nepal, India and Bhutan and most famously, Tibet. It is also consumed in Bhutan and by Buddhist minorities in India. Traditionally, it is made from tea leaves, yak butter, water, and salt, although butter made from cow's milk is increasingly used, given its wider availability and reduced cost.

Customs

Drinking butter tea is a regular part of Tibetan life. Before work, a Tibetan will typically enjoy several bowlfuls of this beverage, and it is always served to guests. Nomads are said to often drink up to 40 cups of it a day. Since butter is the main ingredient, butter tea provides plenty of caloric energy and is particularly suited to high altitudes. The butter may also help prevent chapped lips.

According to the Tibetan custom, butter tea is drunk in separate sips, and after each sip the host refills the bowl to the brim. Thus, the guest never drains his bowl; rather, it is constantly topped up. If the visitor does not wish to drink, the best thing to do is leave the tea untouched until the time comes to leave and then drain the bowl. In this way etiquette is observed and the host will not be offended.