
What Is Tibetan Butter Tea And What Makes It More Than Just A Beverage
From the bustling tea stalls of Kolkata to the serene tea gardens of Japan, tea is one of the world's most beloved beverages. It transcends borders, climates, and cultures. Whether it is the comforting clink of English breakfast tea in fine bone china, the sharp zest of Moroccan mint tea, or our very own masala chai, every region has brewed its own version of this timeless drink, shaped by local ingredients and lifestyles. In China, tea is meditative. In India, it is practically a religion. And high up in the wind-chilled mountains of the Himalayas, tea takes on a very different, and rather surprising, form.
Meet Tibetan Butter Tea, or as the locals call it: Po Cha. It is a savoury, creamy concoction made by churning strong black tea with yak butter and salt. Unusual? Absolutely. But in the bone-chilling cold of Tibet, this soul-warming brew is more than just a drink. It is practically survival in a cup.
Also Read: The History Behind White Tea, And Why It Is A Great Health Companion
What Makes Tibetan Butter Tea So Unique?
Unlike the sweet or masala teas most of us are familiar with, butter tea is thick, salty, and rich - more like a nourishing broth than a typical beverage. It is made by blending:
Strong black tea leaves
Butter (traditionally from yak milk)
A pinch of salt
This hearty mix is churned until frothy, resulting in a drink that is warming, hydrating, and energising.
But beyond its ingredients, what truly sets butter tea apart is its cultural significance. In Tibet, it is a symbol of hospitality and community. Cups are constantly refilled as a gesture of warmth and respect, especially in monasteries and homes.
Also Read: Puerh Tea: This Is China's Best Kept Secret For Weight Loss
Photo Credit: Pexels
A Brief History Of Tibetan Butter Tea:
According to webarchive.org, the origins of butter tea date back to the 7th century, during China's Tang Dynasty. Legend has it that a Chinese princess married the king of Tibet, forging a powerful political and cultural alliance. Soon after, trade routes were established, bringing Chinese tea into Tibet.
Tibetans, already accustomed to using yak butter in daily life, began adding it to their tea. The result? A rich, salty, and energising drink perfectly suited to the region's harsh climate.
As the tradition spread across the Himalayas, different communities developed their own versions. The Sherpas of Nepal, for instance, created a variation known as Sherpa tea, reflecting local tastes while preserving the essence of the original.
Also Read: Tea Leaves Or Tea Bags: Which One's A Healthier Option?
Health Benefits Of Tibetan Butter Tea:
1. Boosts Energy Levels:
The caffeine from black tea and fats from yak butter provide long-lasting energy, ideal for high-altitude living or trekking.
2. Supports Brain Health:
Antioxidants in the tea help fight oxidative stress, potentially improving focus and cognitive function.
3. Aids Digestion:
The butter acts as a natural digestive aid, soothing the stomach and easing digestion.
4. Combats Dehydration:
The salt and fat content help the body retain moisture in dry, cold climates.
5. Moisturises Skin:
The healthy fats in yak butter nourish the skin, keeping it supple and hydrated.
6. Provides Essential Calories:
In the Himalayas, where food can be scarce and temperatures extreme, butter tea offers a quick, warming source of calories.
How To Make Tibetan Butter Tea At Home:
Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 tbsp black tea leaves
2 tbsp unsalted butter (yak butter if available)
A pinch of salt
Milk (optional, for a creamier version)
Method:
Boil the water and steep the tea leaves for 5-10 minutes.
Strain the tea and pour it into a blender.
Add butter and salt.
Blend for 30 seconds until frothy.
Serve hot and sip slowly.
Also Read: Here Are 5 Reasons Why Lemon Tea Should Be A Part Of Your Diet
Tibetan Butter Tea: A Taste Of Tradition And Resilience:
Tibetan butter tea may not be everyone's cup of tea at first sip. But it is a drink steeped in history, culture, and purpose. It reflects the resilience of the people who created it and the environment that shaped it. Whether you are exploring Himalayan traditions or simply curious about global tea cultures, Po Cha offers a warm, nourishing glimpse into life in the Himalayas.
Advertisement
About Somdatta Saha Explorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call herself. Be it in terms of food, people or places, all she craves for is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio pasta or daal-chawal and a good movie can make her day.
For the latest food news, health tips and recipes, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and YouTube.
Tags:
Tibetan Butter Tea
Yak Butter Tea
Himalayan Tea Culture
Show full article
Comments

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘What an experience': Howrah station to Shantiniketan — Chinese Ambassador to India takes his first train journey in India
The Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, took his first-ever train journey in the country on Monday, travelling from Howrah station to Shantiniketan. He is scheduled to stay for two days at Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan, Bolpur, under Birbhum district. 'Embarked on my first train journey in India from the iconic Howrah station, the vibrant heart of Kolkata: On route to the serene abode of Rabindranath Tagore – Shantiniketan. Experiencing Bengal's timeless rhythm and beauty firsthand. What an experience,' shared Xu Feihong on X on Monday. According to sources, the Chinese Ambassador boarded the Shantiniketan Express from Howrah at around 10 am and reached Shantiniketan at around 1 pm. He travelled in the chair car of the train. The ambassador led a team of nine members, including Chinese Consul General in Kolkata Xu Wei. Visva-Bharati, located in Shantiniketan, is a central university founded by Rabindranath Tagore in 1921. Until independence, it functioned as a college. 'He arrived at around 1 pm. He visited Rabindra-Bhavana. He then visited Cheena Bhavana (Department of Chinese Studies). Tomorrow he is scheduled to meet the Vice Chancellor and thereafter will leave for Kolkata,' said a senior officer of Visva-Bharati. According to Visva-Bharati University sources, the Ambassador and the delegation will stay overnight in Shantiniketan and attend a meeting with Vice Chancellor Probir Kumar Ghosh. Rabindra-Bhavana, also known as the Uttarayan complex, includes museums and five houses where Rabindranath Tagore and his family lived. The complex holds a major portion of Tagore's manuscripts, paintings, correspondence, and sketches, along with thousands of photographs taken of him. 'The architecture of the houses, the interior decoration, the pieces of furniture strewn about the rooms bring to life the persona of Tagore. Rabindra-Bhavana has 1,580 original paintings by Rabindranath and 554 by others. The photograph collection (11,380), the curio collection (3,855), and 52 statues,' according to the VB website. Visva-Bharati's Cheena-Bhavana (Department of Chinese Language and Culture), the oldest department of Chinese studies in India, was established by Tagore and Professor Tan Yun-Shan on April 14, 1937. VB has cultural and student exchange programmes with various Chinese universities. In April this year, a team of Chinese scholars and experts visited Visva-Bharati University to attend an international seminar on Rabindranath Tagore, marking the 75th anniversary of India-China diplomatic ties. Ravik Bhattacharya is the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. Over 20 years of experience in the media industry and covered politics, crime, major incidents and issues, apart from investigative stories in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Andaman Nicobar islands. Ravik won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for political reporting. Ravik holds a bachelor degree with English Hons from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University and a PG diploma in mass communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik started his career with The Asian Age and then moved to The Statesman, The Telegraph and Hindustan Times. ... Read More


NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
Tourist Couple's Last 12 Hours In Meghalaya Village Before They Disappeared: What Witnesses Said
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Newlyweds Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi visited Nongriat, Meghalaya, during their honeymoon but went missing on May 23. Raja's body was found on June 2, while Sonam's search continues, with family fearing kidnapping. Witnesses recall their last 12 hours. Guwahati/Shillong: The 12 hours that a couple from Madhya Pradesh's Indore spent at Nongriat village in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills during their visit to the popular double-decker living root bridge have now been accounted for, according to investigators who spoke with the locals and took their statements. Newly wed couple Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam visited some areas during their honeymoon in Meghalaya before they went missing on May 23. While Raja Raghuvanshi's body was found in a gorge on June 2, a search is still on for his wife. Teams from the police and even the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are searching for Sonam, whose family said they believe she must have been kidnapped and have not lost hope of finding her. The couple checked into a guesthouse in Meghalaya's capital Shillong on May 21. The next day they hired a scooty and rode to the popular tourist hotspot Sohra (Cherrapunji). After reaching Mawlakhiat village in East Khasi Hills, they kept the scooty at a parking spot run by the local community for tourists, and hired a local guide to trek to a homestay at Nongriat village in the same district. The guide who took them on the trek to Nongriat from Mawlakhiat said it takes nearly three hours and involves descending some 3,000 steps. "The couple called us on May 22; it was late, around 3.30 pm, but I did not refuse and decided to guide them to Nongriat. After dropping them at Shipara Homestay, we left," the guide Bhakupar Wanshai said, adding another guide, Albert Pde, also accompanied them. "We offered our service for the next day (May 23), but they [the couple] refused, saying they know the route," Mr Wanshai said. Mr Wanshai in his police statement said Sonam did most of the talking with them in English. The couple and the two guides reached Shipara Homestay at Nongriat village at 5.30 pm, the woman who runs the homestay said. "On May 22, two guests came to stay here (Shipara Homestay). They came along with guides. I can't recall the exact time... but I think it was around 5 pm. When they arrived here, I showed them the room, and they agreed to stay. While we were sitting here, they asked about the room tariff and fees for the guide, and when to clear the payment, to which I said, 'today'," the homestay owner Sianti Sohkhlet said. She said the couple declined the guide's service for the next day. "I took the money and asked them to sign in the register, and showed them their room. They checked in and left to see the living root bridges after locking the room. They returned after a while. It was already dark. We prepared food and took it to their room. They had dinner and retired for the night," Ms Sohkhlet said. Shipara Homestay is located close to the double-decker living root bridge in Nongriat. "The next morning, I woke up around 5.30 am. The couple said they would check out early, so I asked if they would like to have breakfast. They refused, saying it was too early and they were not hungry," the homestay owner said. "They paid for the food [dinner] and signed out from the register. I asked if they would remember the way, and they said they would, pointing at the stairs before leaving," Ms Sohkhlet said. The couple left the homestay at 6 am on May 23. The last person who saw the couple was the guide Albert Pde. During questioning by the state police, he said he saw the couple at 10 am climbing the 3,000 steps towards Mawlakhiat village along with three men who he believed to be tourists. The couple went missing after that.


Mint
a day ago
- Mint
Looking for the right kind of green tea
The Long Jing has been on my tea wish list simply because its reputation precedes it. Along with the Bi Luo Chun, the Long Jing sits at the top of the green tea pantheon, and on one's tea explorations. It is a name that comes up often enough until you cannot ignore it. The name Long Jing translates to Dragon Well, and follows in the Chinese tea tradition that tells of an old tea and fantastical tales that accompany it. At first, I found these stories to be quite the attractive hook, marvelling at how even a tea could inspire such legends. Lately though, I am more eager to push past the stories for the tea. And with the Long Jing, suffice to know that the tea gets its name from its place of origin—Longjing village in Hangzhou. Of all the tea styles, I have struggled with green tea the most, in part because the early greens I had were not very memorable. I was also put off by the heavy handed push by marketers towards adopting green tea for losing weight and being disease-free. While I never actively sought green tea, I welcomed the occasional flavourful greens that came my way. And I learnt to distinguish between the pan-roasted Chinese style and the steamed Japanese style, and my preference for the latter was for the colour and the umami hit. Still, it's been a sporadic dalliance at best. Also read: A tea lover's reflection on tradition and change Last week, a ceramicist friend was travelling to China, and I had to ask for some Long Jing tea, given that spring has just ended. All tea regions seem to celebrate green tea plucked in spring. An avowed coffee drinker, my friend was not impressed with the tea, doubting if it looked and sounded better than it was. I had no reference for it, and decided to abandon questions about when it was plucked and by whom and what grade it was. Instead, I decided to enjoy it for the tea it was. What a lovely aroma it had—the packet opened to the smells of a tea garden, that fresh leafy smell that is such a mood lifter. The leaves were the characteristic Long Jing flat leaf, which comes from the pan-frying process when the leaves are pressed against the sides of the pan. I chose to brew it in water that was hot, but not boiling (80–85 degrees Celsius is recommended), and tried a very short steep of 30 seconds before settling for longer (60-90 seconds) steeps. I topped it a few times. Two things that struck me were the smooth mouthfeel and the hit of umami that I was not expecting: I have grown to associate that with Japanese greens and yet, here was a pan-fired Chinese tea exhibiting it. Second, despite being a prized tea, it was effortlessly easy to like and drink. The myth and lore aside, the tea can speak for itself. Perhaps one just needs the right tea to start one's discovery. And for green tea, the Long Jing could very well be that tea. Also read: Do you value that cup of tea? TEA TAKES A flavoured Long Jing with lychee and pandan (Karma Kettle, ₹400 for 50g) or pure Long Jing (Chado Tea, ₹899 for 50g or Newby Tea, ₹8,880 for 250g) Tea Nanny is a fortnightly series on the world of tea. Aravinda Anantharaman is a tea drinker, writer and editor. She posts @AravindaAnanth1 on X.