Tsampa – favorite food on Tibetan plateau, How to Make the most nutritious food Tsampa?

Tsampa is the Main food of People on the Qinghai Tibet plateau. In many places on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, there is a custom of planting barley. Barley grows here is a bit different from other parts of the World. It is popularly known as Highland barley. Tsampa is a grind-out powder of roasted barley.

The climate of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is cold, the air is thin, the wind speed is large, and the sunshine is sufficient. Special geographical location, harsh climatic conditions, as well as production lifestyle, determine the unique eating habits of Tibetans.

When eating, it mixes with Butter tea or other hot drink. For making it tastier often mix with Butter, cheese, sugar, and others.

Mineral contents in Tsampa

Tsampa is rich in protein and calcium, iron, zinc, and other trace elements, the high nutritional value of high calories can satisfy hunger and cold, which contains dietary fiber helps gastrointestinal motility, promote digestion and absorption, play a role in bowel laxative.

In addition to the special flavor of the tsampa, it is also particularly adapted to the nomadic life of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Ordinary people go out to rub the tsampa and butter together in a small skin bag. You can eat with any liquid, whether it is water, black tea, Butter tea, or milk. even if there is no water it can be eaten dry. Tsampa is convenient and nutritious. also fragrant, pure, and convenient. Butter and tsampa are also the most convenient food when going out. Before Nomad or shepherd, they go with a bag of tsampa, a box of ghee, a piece of tea, a pot, encountered cow dung, spring water, back to the sun place, you can boil the tea everywhere to eat, this is the most typical, the most common plateau picnic.

How to Eat Tsampa – Procedure to making proper Tsampa

The simplest process of making tsampa is to put butter and cheese in a bowl, pour into hot tea, sugar, and brown sugar if you like the right amount of sweetness, then add the barley powder. reach into the bowl with your hand and stir, first press the roasted powder to the bottom of the bowl with your middle finger and stir gently, if the water will overflow. The other hand holds the bottom of the bowl to rotate the bowl, the pressing hand at this time need to close to the edge of the bowl in a direction to press the barley noodles into the tea soup, after pressing, you can use the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, pinky and press into the bowl to pinch and mix, with fried noodles, tea and ghee almost mix well, you can use one hand to pinch into a group, and eat.

Tsampa is simple food. It is quite easy to take some Tsampa when Tibetan people move about in search of pasture. When Tibetan people leave home for a long time, they always carry a Tsampa bag on their waists. Whenever they are hungry, they eat some Tsampa. Sometimes, they take out a wood bowl, put some Tsampa, buttered tea, and salt in the bowl, mix them. Then they knead the dough into balls and eat them. It’s very convenient. Sometimes, they drink some buttered tea while eating Tsampa. Sometimes, they pour Tsamba and buttered tea into a leather bag named “Tang Ku”. Then, they hold the mouth of the bag with one hand and knead the bag with the other hand. After a while, the delicious Tsampa dinner is ready.

During the Tibetan New Year Festival, every family will place an auspicious wood container called “Droso Chayma” on the Tibetan-style cupboard. In the container are Chang or Tibetan wine, Tsampa, and Drama (Special root of Plant to eat), on top of which are ears of Chang or Tibetan wine wheat, wheat flowers, and butter sculpture cards on which the sun, the moon, and stars are drawn. When the neighbors or the relatives come to pay a New Year call, the hosts will entertain them with the food in “Droso Chayma”. The guest will take some Tsampa with one hand and flick in the air three times. Then he takes some Tsampa and puts it in the mouth while saying “Tashi Delek” (meaning good luck and happiness) to express the best wishes.