Tsampa is the roasted barley
flour, traditional food in Tibet. It is rich in protein and fiber. Consumed
with other foods such as vegetables, it is a natural and well-balanced dish.
Take 6 to 7 teaspoons of Tsampa (roasted barley) in a soup bowl. Put some salted butter tea or soup into your bowl, add some Tsampa onto the liquid and stir gently with your index finger as you hold the bowl with your other hand. Mix it thoroughly with your fingers twisting your bowl until it becomes semi dry dough. Squeeze the dough as enough to fit into your fist and serve it with lower part of your fist going first into your mouth. You might need a certain amount of practical experience before you can judge correctly how much tsampa goes into your tea. Until you get these proportions right the end product is apt to turn into either a lump of desiccated dough or else a semiliquid paste which sticks to your fingers. You can also add powdered dry cheese (‘churshib’) and butter for added flavors.
It may also be prepared as a porridge called ‘jhamdur’. All you have to do is to add more tea than you add to make ‘pak’.
Art, culture and tradition of Tibet
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