Food and Restaurants

Tibetan cuisine is basic and hardy and most dishes derive from yak milk and meat as well as barley flour. Because of the harsh climate, vegetables and fruits are scarce. Tsamba is made of barley flour and is a local staple. It's often mixed into porridge and eaten with butter tea for breakfast.

Yak steaks are commonly eaten. Maonou roujiang is made from ground yak steaks in a meaty sauce. Dried yak is made by mixing cuts of yak meat with salt and chilies then hanging them to dry. Any time is good for a cup of butter tea made from a mixture of yak butter, tea and salt, occasionally milk and eggs will also be mixed in. Tasty yak yogurt is a refreshing treat. Another popular drink is barley wine, it's a little sweet.

Reflecting Tibet's accessibility, an international medley of cuisines is now readily available. Lhasa is close Nepal and northern India so places restaurants are particularly good. Thanks to the many Sichuan migrants to Tibet, many restaurants serve up spicy Sichuan cuisine.