Butter tea

Butter tea, also known as po cha (, "Tibetan tea"), cha süma (, "churned tea"), su you cha (酥油茶; pinyin: sū yóu chá) or goor goor in local Ladakhi terms, is a drink of the Tibetans and Chinese minorities in southwestern China. It is also consumed in Bhutan. It is made of tea leaves, yak butter, and salt.


 * "Tea was introduced into Tibet earlier than the tenth century, but it is only became of universal use from the time of the Sakya hierarchy and the Phagmodu kings [c. 13th century]. During the early part of the Dalai Lama's rule the tea trade was a governmental monopoly, and since the beginning of the present century [the 19th century], though nominally open to every one, the trade is practically in the hands of the officials."


 * We rushed around returning calls and drinking Tibetan tea. This is made from Chinese brick-tea. Norbhu says they spread it on the road for several days to let it acquire the strength and flavour demanded by Tibetan palates; certainly we cannot grow it in India, which is a pity, because every year thousands of loads of tea come over the the passes several months' journey from China. Any good Tibetan drinks fifty or sixty cups of tea every day of his life. The leaves are boiled for several hours, then the infusion is poured into a section of hollow bamboo, where it is churned up with a plunger, together with a handful of salt, a pinch of soda, and a good lump of butter—usually rancid. The result is a purplish liquid of unusual taste for tea, but as soup excellent. The great thing is to blow aside the floating scum of butter before you drink. The moment you put the cup down, even if you have only taken a sip, it is filled up by a servant who stands ready with a silver or earthenware teapot. Custom demands that one drinks at least twice, but however much one has, the cup is always left full. To eat, we were offered dried apricots, sweets, and biscuits."


 * "To make the best butter-tea, the tea is first boiled for half a day, till it gets dark brown. After being skimmed, it is shaken several times in the cylinder with some fresh yak butter and salt. This makes the best tea, and a tea-pot full of such tea costs thirty-eight sen to make. Tea-pots, or jars, are made of clay in the shape of ordinary Japanese tea pots. I could not at first drink the tea, when I saw that it looked like thick oil. Still, it is one of the best drinks among the best circles in Tibet, who drink it every morning. It is usually mixed with what is called tsu and baked flour. The tsu is a hardened mixture of cheese, butter and white sugar. The Tibetan puts this substance into his tea."

Drinking butter tea is a regular part of Tibetan life. Before work, a Tibetan will typically down several bowlfuls of this tangy 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 is a very warming drink, providing lots of energy (calories) and is particularly suited to high altitudes. Because of the butter it also helps 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.

Butter tea is also used for eating tsampa by pouring onto it, or dipping the tsampa into it, and mixing well.

Preparation of butter tea begins with black tea mostly from Pu-erh Tea brick (Cha Phak Chung). (This may be freshly brewed, or made by diluting a concentrate with boiling water. The concentrate, produced by repeatedly boiling tea leaves, will keep for several days, and is commonly used in towns.)  The tea is then combined with salt and butter in a special tea churn, and churned vigorously before serving hot.