Tibetan cuisine: what they eat in the most magical place on Earth. Tibetan cuisine

Tibetan cuisine is largely based on the ancient knowledge of Tibetan medicine, which deeply studies the properties and interaction of objects and phenomena, primary elements and their energies in relation to human health.

According to this knowledge, human health directly depends on the balance of “heat” and “cold”, and according to their properties, products can be “warm” or “cold”. Nutrition should be appropriate to the climate, season, time of day.

It is no secret that the sharply continental climate of the highlands is harsh and cold; therefore, in order to even out the balance, the kitchen must contain a lot of “warm”.

So what is healthy about Tibetan cuisine? Tibetans practically do not eat raw food, this is also due to the climate. Traditionally in Tibet, steamers are used, which allows for better preservation beneficial features products.

The chef of the Tibet restaurant, Dhondup Pempa, shared 4 recipes for Tibetan cuisine with “Cleo”.

1. Rice Bryani with vegetables and cold kefir soup

Compound:

Vegetable mixture (any vegetables to taste) - 150 g
Basmati rice 200 g, water for cooking
Onion, ginger, garlic (optional)
Chili pepper (optional)

Tomato 1 pc.
Natural yogurt 1 tbsp.
Spice mixture for Bryani
Vegetable oil 1 tbsp.
Salt
Cashew 1 tbsp.
Cilantro

1. Pour a little into a heated frying pan vegetable oil.

2. Finely chopped onion, ginger, garlic, fry until golden brown, add finely chopped tomato, fry a little more, add vegetable mix, special spice mixture for Briyani, 1 tbsp. yogurt, 1 tbsp. cashew nuts, mix everything thoroughly, cook for a few minutes.

3. Then add Basmati rice, cooked separately (Basmati cooks for about 20 minutes), finely chopped fresh mint, salt to the resulting mixture, simmer over low heat for 10 minutes - ready!

4. Before serving, you can sprinkle with lemon juice and garnish with a sprig of cilantro.

5. Pilaf Bryani successfully sets off Kheer ka Raita - cold soup with kefir. To prepare it, chop the cucumber and tomato finely and mix it into a salted kefir base.

2. Tofu with vegetables in spicy sauce

Compound:

Broccoli 40 g
Cauliflower 40 g
Carrots 35 g
Green beans 25 g
Chinese cabbage 20 g
Tofu 40 g
Champignons 30 g
Vegetable oil 5 g
Ginger (root) 5 g
Water 50 ml
Hot sauce 5 ml
Corn starch 5 g

2. Add vegetables (fry with ginger for 1-2 minutes).

3. Add water, salt, spicy sauce, all contents boil for 5-7 minutes.

4. Add lightly fried tofu.

5. Add cornstarch, stirring for 1 minute.

6. Ready dish put it on a plate.

3. Norling salad

Compound:

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Carrot
Champignon
Tomato
Green bean
Black Tibetan mushrooms
Sesame oil, salt

1. Wash and clean the vegetables. Chop carrots, tomatoes, champignons.

2. You need to cook all the vegetables together for about two minutes. Due to short cooking, vegetables retain nutrients and vitamins. Suitable for lovers of healthy eating.

3. After this, drain the water and season with sesame sauce (sesame oil, Tibetan salt).

4. Place it beautifully on a plate.

4. Family soup Gya-Kok

Family Tibetan soup, designed for several (4-5) people, served in a special heated tureen.

It is prepared on holidays, and during it the family circle discusses plans for the next year and expresses good wishes.

Traditionally, the soup is poured by the oldest person.

The soup is rich in ingredients and nutritious, yet surprisingly light and original.  

The soup is made with chicken broth. Vegetables are placed in a boiling broth, lightly salted: broccoli, carrots, cauliflower , Chinese cabbage, green beans

, spinach, mushrooms - shiitake and champignons.

All this is cooked for 4 minutes, then separately boiled chicken, lamb and shrimp are added. Boils for about 5 more minutes.

Add glass soy noodles and cook for another 3 minutes over low heat. At the very end, finely chopped cubes of tofu cheese and an omelette cut into thin strips, pre-fried on both sides, are added. The soup can be prepared with spicy or non-spicy broth if desired. Tibetan cuisine

quite different from its neighbors, since only a few grain crops (other than rice) grow at such altitudes.

Tibetan cuisine is quite balanced and moderate. It is not oversaturated with herbs and spices, while residents of the region cannot imagine themselves without vegetables and meat. Tibetans adhere to Buddhism. This religion does not prohibit specific foods, as, for example, Islam excludes pork. You can eat anything, however, in Tibet they almost never eat sweets or fruits.

Tibetan recipes

National dishes of Tibet

Momo is a type of steamed dumpling.

Meat dishes from yak, goat, or lamb, which are often dried, or from which they prepare a spicy roast with potatoes.

Most Tibetans drink a lot of milk and yak butter tea with salt (chasuima) every day. Jasmine tea is also very popular. Tea in briquettes is produced by a method only vaguely related to the production of China or the island of Ceylon. Crumble a large handful of tea into boiling water and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes until the color becomes almost black. At this stage add a pinch of salt; Tibetans never put sugar in their tea, only salt. It is said that they sometimes add a little soda to give the drink a pinkish tint. It is very rare to drink tea without oil in it.

Alcoholic drinks include:
Chang is a beer usually brewed from barley.
Pinjopo is rice wine.

National products of Tibet

Paley is a bread of central Tibet that is baked in a shallow pan rather than in the oven.

The most important grain crop is barley. A barley flour dough called tsampa is the staple food of Tibet. It is either rolled into noodles or made into steamed dumplings called momos. Mustard is grown in Tibet, which is actively used in dishes. national cuisine. Yak milk yogurt, butter and cheese are often consumed, and well-aged yogurt is considered prestige.

History and traditions

The history of Tibet itself goes back about 4000 years. She directly influenced the country's cuisine, firmly rooting many products and national dishes there.

Tibetans eat with chopsticks and spoons. Devices common to Europeans are extremely rare. The profession of a cook or culinary specialist in Tibet is not considered prestigious. The truth is worthy of respect. They say that men in this country are much better cooks than women. Despite this opinion, in an ordinary family it is the woman who “cooks” - the keeper home comfort and hearth. But on holidays, the head of the family takes on the responsibility of a home cook - this is the sacred responsibility of a man.

Every snack bar and restaurant in cities like Lhasa, Shigatse, Tse Dan is filled with Tibetan traditions and flavor. Cultural attributes hang on the walls, and the menu includes traditional national dishes and drinks. Most often, the dining table in such places, as well as in ordinary houses, is made of wood. The work must be done truly flawlessly, because Tibetans take their meals seriously. The table is decorated with beautiful drawings and ornaments that simply cannot be confused with anything else.

As you can easily guess, man does not live by the spiritual path alone, and this article will focus specifically on food.

Tibetan cuisine is exotic for a European. Something that attracts with mystery and incomprehensibility.

Tibetan cuisine differs from other oriental cuisine in moderation and balance. Tibetans do not overuse herbs and spices. But they eat meat and vegetables large quantities. The most popular vegetables are sweet peppers, carrots, cauliflower and regular cabbage, corn, spinach; from meat products - yak and lamb. The most common meat is yak meat. It is prepared in a special way: boiled, cut into pieces, added onions, tomatoes, ginger, fried and served with bread or noodles.

Buddhism, as a gentle and tolerant religion, does not include prohibitions on foods, such as, for example, pork in Islam. You can eat everything. But in Tibet they practically don’t eat fruits or sweets. The only national dessert is brushwood with honey. Fish and seafood are unpopular in Tibet; they simply aren’t there.

The meal ceremony usually looks like this: before sitting down to the table, everyone says a prayer. A large dish is placed in the center, and everyone puts on their plate exactly as much as they can eat. Tibetans eat with chopsticks or a spoon. Tibetans practically do not drink alcohol, since it does not combine with prayer. The traditional drink of Tibet is the so-called “rice wine”. To prepare this drink, they take boiled rice, add special spices to it, leave it for a week, then settle it, and the result is a low-alcohol (five degrees) exotic drink. Otherwise, they drink everything the same as Western people - coffee, juices, mineral water. Particular attention to tea. “Real” Tibetan tea is no less exotic than “real” rice wine. Officially it is called "Tibetan tea made from freshly brewed tea leaves with oil and salt." The taste matches the name.

The main dish of Tibetans is tsampa. It is prepared from barley flour, yak butter, tea or barley beer. The result is something like a dough; some Tibetan peoples add a little barley flour to tea with butter and milk and the result is something like a very liquid porridge, filling and high in calories. IN major cities Tibet, such as Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse, Tsetang, as well as in guest houses where tourists often stop for lunch, the food is varied, but in other places the menu is limited to momos and thukpa. Momos are similar to our dumplings filled with meat or vegetables. Thukpa - noodle soup with meat or vegetables. And a number of rice and noodle dishes.

In principle, anyone can learn to cook Tibetan dishes. But this is complicated by two points. Firstly, there are no special cooking schools or books with recipes in Tibet. The profession of a cook is usually passed down from father to son along with all culinary secrets. Secondly, they say that the taste of food prepared by a non-Tibetan, even according to all the rules, is not at all the same as the taste of real Tibetan food should be.

The profession of a cook in Tibet itself is respected, but far from the most prestigious. It is believed that men are better cooks than women, but in an ordinary Tibetan family, it is usually the wife who cooks. This is one of her daily duties. On holidays and some special occasions, the sacred process of cooking is taken over by a man. They say it tastes better.

Tibetan cuisine is quite different from its neighbors, as only a few grains (other than rice) grow at such altitudes.

Tibetan cuisine is quite balanced and moderate. It is not oversaturated with herbs and spices, while residents of the region cannot imagine themselves without vegetables and meat. Tibetans adhere to Buddhism. This religion does not prohibit specific foods, as, for example, Islam excludes pork. You can eat anything, however, in Tibet they almost never eat sweets or fruits.
National dishes Tibet
Momo is a type of steamed dumpling.

RECIPE IN PHOTOS:

STEAMING MOMO
Thean Thuk is a type of soup, often prepared in cold weather, with noodles and various vegetables.

In large Tibetan cities, many restaurants serve Szechuan Chinese dishes. Western influences and fusion dishes such as fried yak with french fries are also popular. However, many small restaurants serving traditional Tibetan dishes are still resisting in both rural areas and cities.
Meat dishes from yak, goat, or lamb, which are often dried, or from which they prepare a spicy roast with potatoes.
Most Tibetans drink a lot of milk and yak butter tea with salt (chasuima) every day. Jasmine tea is also very popular. Tea in briquettes is produced by a method only vaguely related to the production of China or the island of Ceylon. Crumble a large handful of tea into boiling water and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes until the color becomes almost black. At this stage add a pinch of salt; Tibetans never put sugar in their tea, only salt. It is said that they sometimes add a little soda to give the drink a pinkish tint. It is very rare to drink tea without oil in it.
Alcoholic drinks include:
Chang is a beer usually brewed from barley.

Pinjopo is rice wine.
National products of Tibet
Paley is a bread of central Tibet that is baked in a shallow pan rather than in the oven.
The most important grain crop is barley. A barley flour dough called tsampa is the staple food of Tibet. It is either rolled into noodles or made into steamed dumplings called momos. Mustard is grown in Tibet, which is actively used in national cuisine. Yak milk yogurt, butter and cheese are often consumed, and well-aged yogurt is considered prestige.
History and traditions
The history of Tibet itself goes back about 4000 years. She directly influenced the country's cuisine, firmly rooting many products and national dishes there.

Eating takes place in a unique way. Before sitting down at the table and eating, a prayer is said. The largest plate with your favorite dish is placed in the center of the table, and everyone takes exactly as much as they can eat. It is noteworthy that Tibetans practically do not drink alcohol, because it is not combined with prayer. Traditionally, alcohol is replaced with rice wine - a light (only five degrees) exotic drink.
Tibetans eat with chopsticks and spoons. Devices common to Europeans are extremely rare. The profession of a cook or culinary specialist in Tibet is not considered prestigious. The truth is worthy of respect. They say that men in this country are much better cooks than women. Despite this opinion, in an ordinary family, the woman who “cooks” is the keeper of home comfort and hearth. But on holidays, the head of the family takes on the responsibility of a home cook - this is the sacred responsibility of a man.
Every snack bar and restaurant in cities like Lhasa, Shigatse, Tse Dan is filled with Tibetan traditions and flavor. Cultural attributes hang on the walls, and the menu includes traditional national dishes and drinks. Most often, the dining table in such places, as well as in ordinary houses, is made of wood. The work must be done truly flawlessly, because Tibetans take their meals seriously. The table is decorated with beautiful drawings and ornaments that simply cannot be confused with anything else.
Tse Tofu
Recipe from
Ratatouille
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch chard (chard)
2 chopped green onions
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
chopped fresh ginger
2 tbsp. spoons of soy sauce
4 pieces firm tofu (350 g each), diced
1/4 cup green peas
1 tbsp. spoon of vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Tse Tofu photo
PREPARATION:
Wash the chard and tear it into pieces, removing the stems.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the onion in it, along with red pepper, ginger and 2 cloves of garlic.
Add soy sauce, tofu and peas.
In another frying pan, heat a tablespoon of oil.
Add black pepper.
Add wet chard and mix well.
Cover with a lid and simmer for 30 seconds.
Place the greens on a plate and top with the tofu mixture.
http://gurmanika.com/recepty/tse-tofu

Carrot halva
INGREDIENTS:
900 grams grated carrots
4 glasses of milk
2 cups sugar
1.5 tbsp. milk powder
1 teaspoon cardamom
3 tbsp. spoons of butter
nuts for garnish

Carrot halva photo
PREPARATION:
Place the carrots and milk in a deep saucepan and bring to a boil at medium temperature, then reduce the temperature. Leave to cook until the carrots absorb the milk. Stir occasionally. Then add sugar, milk powder, cardamom to the pan, mix everything well and leave on the fire for another 5-7 minutes. Then remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Heat in a large frying pan butter, then add carrot mixture. Cook until the mixture turns brown, then remove from the heat. Halva can now be served. You can place the halva in a special form and decorate the top with nuts.
Recipe: Momo with chicken
You will always find it in the category of our website - Dumplings and dumplings. To prepare you will need: a double boiler. On average it takes 1 hour 40 minutes to prepare. The list of ingredients is for 4 servings. This recipe belongs to Tibetan cuisine.
Ingredients:
For filling:
400 gr chicken fillet
1 large finely chopped onion
3-5 cm chopped ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/3 cup green onions
1 tsp butter
1/4 cup water
3 celery stalks, chopped
salt
For the test:
3/4 cup water
2.5 cups flour
Cooking method:
Finely chop all ingredients for the filling and mix.
Roll the dough into balls with a diameter of 2.5 cm. Roll out from the middle, put 1 tbsp. fillings and mold.
Cook the momos in a steamer for 15-20 minutes.
http://foodzona.ru/recipes/13968

Recipe: soup

Ingredients:
tomatoes 4 pcs
canned green peas 1 cup
onion 1 head
butter 40 g
cream 1/2 cup
ground black pepper
salt to taste
You will always find it in the category of our website - Soups and broths. For cooking you will need: a saucepan, a frying pan. The list of ingredients is for 4 servings. This recipe belongs to Tibetan cuisine.
Rub the tomatoes through a sieve.
2. Cut the onion into strips and fry.
3. Add green pea, wipe the tomatoes, pour in 3 cups hot water, salt, pepper and bring to a boil.
4. Serve with cream and toast.
Tibetan tea is not only exotic, but also delicious drink, so you should prepare it at least once to experience the undeniable charm of this amazing drink.

Tibetan tea

Compound:
Milk 0.5 l
Water 0.5 l
Cloves 10-11 pcs.
Cardamom 9-11 pcs
Dry ginger 0.5 tsp. or 1 tbsp. l. fresh
Ground nutmeg 0.5 tsp.
Green tea 2 tsp.
Black tea 1 tsp.

Preparation: Crush the cardamom grains, then crush them in a mortar with cloves. Then you need to put enamel pan with water on the fire and gradually add cloves, cardamom, dry ginger and green tea. All this should boil for a minute, then milk and black tea are added.
When the drink boils, add nutmeg. Again, let the drink boil a little. Then the fire is turned off and the dishes are left for 5 minutes. Strain the liquid into a ceramic bowl and try on an empty stomach in the morning without sugar.

GOOD HEALTH TO YOU, MY DEAR FRIENDS AND GUESTS!!!