Yak Butter Tea

One of the intentionally aged teas, Pu-Erh has a loyal following.


User avatar
Dec 12th, '08, 00:39
Posts: 1885
Joined: Mar 22nd, '08, 22:26
Location: Yixing

by chrl42 » Dec 12th, '08, 00:39

Tibetan yak better tea - 酥油茶 Suyoucha.

Story has it that it derived from Tang dynasty princness 文成公主 Wen Cheng Gong Zhu, when she married Tibetan Royal(Chinese claim of occupation of Tibet might start from here). And she spread the tea drinking tradition.

Making yak butter tea undergo a delicate procedure. First tea leaves put and boil for tea juice then filter, and spice/yak butter inserted.
Spices used are walnut, sesame powder, peanut, watermelon seed, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed, egg, salt etc..

Drinking yak butter requires attention.
First hostess prepares a bamboo box in the middle and bowls. Then pours in order and shouts "hap tong! hap tong! (please drink tea in Tibetan)"
But never drink quickly, should drink slowly to let hostess know she has a great skill in making tea. Then hostess pours again. After drinking 3 bowls and if you don't want to drink anymore, then let her know by dropping tea leaves on the ground.
Then hostess won't pour you again.

Yak butter tea is a special tea only drunk on special occation. Normal days Tibetans drink 鹽茶 Yan Cha, a salt tea.

User avatar
Dec 12th, '08, 00:48
Posts: 5151
Joined: Dec 20th, '06, 23:33
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Been thanked: 1 time

by Salsero » Dec 12th, '08, 00:48

Once again, thanks, Chrl 42, for sharing your immense knowledge. I didn't realize what a semi-formal and stylized event this Tibetan tea encompassed. I love the details about the spices and the fact that salt tea is the everyday beverage.

User avatar
Dec 12th, '08, 00:52
Posts: 155
Joined: Nov 4th, '08, 20:35
Location: NYC
Contact: Goose

by Goose » Dec 12th, '08, 00:52

hap tong! hap tong!

Sounds like my house!

Thanks for the "tea lesson"Chrl, can you add something about the 鹽茶 Yan Cha, salt tea?

Jim
Jim

+ Post Reply