Tibetan tea ceremony

The Tibetan tea culture is of later times, 10th century, then the Chinese tea culture. The Chinese tea culture brought the influences to Tibet where tea is now one of the most important drinks. It is drunk as yak-butter tea or milk tea. The yak-butter tea is a non alcoholic drink made from opgekookte in a kettle tea leaves, Yak butter and salt.​

The butter tea is drunk many times a day. The yak butter tea plays in the diet an important role, it is nourishing and warming and stimulates digestion. These stimulate the intestinal system is important because many Tibetans eat yak meat.

Milk tea

The sweet milk tea, tea leaves in a boiler, is made of the yak butter with sugar and milk. This tea is drunk in the cities and by nomads. It's a way of drinking tea that since the 20th century is done. Tea was initially for the top layer of the population, later expanded this over all layers. Tea gold as gifts from Buddha and is therefore valuable for Tibetan Buddhists. The product tea was worth much and was even used as barter, Tibetan horses for Chinese tea. And it was used by monks to stay awake. Tea integrated in the culture and developed into a private Tibetan tea culture.

Tableware

Dinnerware distinguished from the other cultures, it was graceful and had the color of green jade. In addition there is tableware of, ceramics and silver but for everyday used is mostly made of wood.

Tea blocks

For the daily tea preparation no loose tea leaves will be used, but pressed tea blocks, to the Chinese School of salted Powder tea. The blocks are mashed into powder and done in a water-filled boiler and heat making a concentrate that is poured in a long wooden barrel and dot with butter and salt is mixed. This whole is heated again before the butter tea is poured out.

Tradition

There are a number of ways in which tea is drunk, drinking tea is a traditional gesture of friendship and is served to customers. It is drunk in small SIPs to praise the quality of the taste. Before the Cup is empty there is bijgeschonken again. The monks in the monasteries have their own tea ritual, prayer during meetings and lots of butter tea.