Food of Tibetan monks. Mysterious food of Tibetan monks. Tibetan cuisine. Recipes and dishes of Tibetan cuisine Tibetan cooking

You are what you eat.

Tibet is a mysterious Asian country, which is located in the remote mountainous regions of the Tibetan Plateau. Nowhere in the world will you find what you can see in Tibet.

The unique, centuries-old, not fully understood and mystical history and culture of the Tibetan people goes back centuries. The history of modern Tibet began in the middle of the 20th century, when a powerful Chinese neighbor decided to get Tibetan lands.

The Chinese invaded the peace-loving Buddhist country with significant military forces, which led to massacres of local residents and thousands of refugee camps. The Chinese decided to wipe out not only the independent state of Tibet, but the most ancient monuments of the Buddhist religion. Before the Chinese invasion, there were more than 6,000 monasteries and 114,000 monks in Tibet; in the mid-70s, 8 monasteries and 800 Buddhist monks remained.

Until the mid-90s of the last century, Tibet was closed to foreigners. Until our time, the Chinese authorities maintain that the lands of Tibet rightfully belong to the PRC. However, the world community and ordinary people condemn the atrocities that the Chinese soldiers did by flooding the sacred lands with Tibetan blood.

The entire population of Tibet professes Buddhism, their spiritual teacher and mentor the Dalai Lama XIV lives outside Tibet in India and heads the government in exile. Lama decided to take such a step only after a huge number of assassination attempts were made on him.

Tibetan cuisine recipes are as characteristic of Tibetan culture as Buddhism. Tibetan cuisine has never been distinguished by its diversity. The Tibetan cuisine was strongly influenced by the climate and location of the state.

The population of Tibet has been engaged in cattle breeding and cultivation of household crops since ancient times. Therefore, all recipes of Tibetan cuisine can be divided into the cuisine of nomads and the cuisine of landowners. Nomads differ from ordinary people not only in their way of life, but also in their diet.

The basis of Tibetan cuisine for nomadic peoples was meat products. Most often eat mutton and goat meat. The meat was boiled in curdled milk and we got the Cho dish, which goes well with Chura cheese. Tibetans prepare yak meat that has been naturally dried and served with green tea and Tsampa.

Tsampa is a famous Tibetan bread made from toasted barley flour and yak milk cheese. Yak milk is a separate and important topic for Tibetan cuisine. Tibetans make many of their dishes with milk. Hearty curdled milk, butter mar or cheese. In Tibet, buttermilk is used to make soft Chura Loen-Pa cheese, or vice versa, very hard Chura Kampo cheese. Sometimes cheese in Tibet is hoarded and it turns out such a Tibetan dish as Chkhurpi.

The cuisine of the landowners was characterized by more vegetable dishes, as well as pork, fish is not used to this day in Tibetan cuisine. Tibetan Momos borrowed the cuisines of other Asian states. These are Tibetan dumplings made from vegetables or meat. Unleavened dumplings are steamed and often lightly fried until golden brown.

Among the recipes of Tibetan cuisine, you can also find first courses, which, however, are not so popular. However, the ordinary Tibetan is unlikely to refuse Tungpa soup, which is cooked in a broth with noodles and vegetables. In Tibet, it is customary to finish the meal with Suima or Bo tea. This is a kind of Tibetan oil tea, which is brewed from pressed leaves of the Puer variety in yak milk.

If you find yourself a guest in a Tibetan's house, then you will be served this tea in a small cup, as soon as you drink one cup, caring hosts will immediately pour you another one. Therefore, the average Tibetan drinks about 40 cups of tea per day.

Tibetan cuisine is quite different from its neighbors, as only a few crops (other than rice) grow at this altitude.

Tibetan cuisine is quite balanced and moderate. It is not oversaturated with spices and spices, while the inhabitants of the region cannot imagine themselves without vegetables and meat. Tibetans follow Buddhism. This religion does not forbid specific foods, for example, Islam excludes pork. You can eat everything, however, in Tibet they almost do not eat sweets and fruits.
National dishes of Tibet
Momo is a type of steamed dumpling.

RECIPE IN PHOTOS:

COOKING MOMO FOR A STEAM
Thenghuk is a type of soup often made in cold weather with noodles and various vegetables.

In large Tibetan cities, many restaurants serve Sichuan 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 resisted both in the countryside and in the cities.
Meat dishes made from yak, goat, or lamb, which are often dried, or used to make spicy roasts 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 remotely related to the production of China or the island of Ceylon. A large handful of tea is crushed into boiling water and allowed to languish for 5-10 minutes, until the shade becomes almost black. At this stage, add a pinch of salt; Tibetans never put sugar in tea, only salt. They are said to sometimes add a bit of 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.

Pingjopo is rice wine.
National products of Tibet
Paley is a bread of central Tibet that is baked in a skillet rather than in an oven.
The most important grain crop is barley. A dough of barley flour called tsampa is the main 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 has about 4000 years. It directly influenced the country's cuisine, firmly rooting many products and national dishes there.

Eating is different. Before you sit down at the table and eat, 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 the inhabitants of Tibet practically do not drink alcohol, because it is not combined with prayer. Traditionally, alcohol is replaced by rice wine - a light (only five degrees) exotic drink.
Tibetans eat with chopsticks and spoons. Instruments common to Europeans are extremely rare. The profession of a cook or culinary specialist in Tibet is not considered prestigious. The truth deserves respect. It is said that men in this country cook much better than women. Despite this opinion, in an ordinary family, a woman “cooks” - the keeper of home comfort and hearth. But on holidays, the head of the family takes over the responsibility of the home cook - this is the sacred duty of a man.
Every eatery and restaurant in cities like Lhasa, Shigatse, Zedang is overflowing with Tibetan traditions and flavor. Attributes of culture hang on the walls, and in the menu you can find primordially 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 really flawlessly, because the Tibetans take the meal 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 minced garlic cloves
minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp. spoons of soy sauce
4 pieces firm tofu (350g each), diced
1/4 cup green peas
1 st. a spoonful of vegetable oil
1 minced garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Tse Tofu photo
COOKING:
Wash the chard and tear it apart, 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.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in another frying pan.
Add black pepper.
Add wet chard and mix well.
Cover with a lid and simmer for 30 seconds.
Arrange the greens on a plate and top with the tofu mixture.
http://gurmanika.com/recepty/tse-tofu

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

Carrot halva photo
COOKING:
Place the carrots and milk in a deep saucepan and bring to a boil at medium heat, then reduce the temperature. Leave to cook until the carrots absorb the milk. Stir periodically. Then add sugar, milk powder, cardamom to the pan, mix everything well and leave on fire for another 5-7 minutes. Then remove from heat, let cool slightly.
Heat the butter in a large skillet, then add the carrot mixture. Saute until the mixture turns brown, then remove from heat. Halva can already be served on the table. You can put halva in a special form, decorate with nuts on top.
Recipe: chicken momo
You will always find it in the category of our site - Dumplings and dumplings. For cooking you will need: a double boiler. It takes an average of 1 hour and 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 minced ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/3 cup green onions
1 tsp butter
1/4 cup water
3 chopped celery stalks
salt
For test:
3/4 cup water
2.5 cups flour
Cooking method:
Finely chop all the ingredients for the filling and mix well.
Roll the dough into balls with a diameter of 2.5 cm. Roll out from the middle, put 1 tbsp. fillings and blind.
Momo cook in a double boiler 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 gr
cream 1/2 cup
ground black pepper
salt to taste
You will always find it in the category of our site - 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 peas, puree tomatoes, pour in 3 cups of hot water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
4. Serve with cream and toast.
Tibetan tea is not only exotic, but also delicious, so you should make it at least once to feel the undoubted charm of an amazing drink.

Tibetan tea

Compound:
Milk 0.5 l
Water 0.5 l
Carnation 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 seeds, then crush them in a mortar and cloves. Then you need to put an enameled pot of water on the fire and gradually throw cloves, cardamom, dry ginger and green tea into the water. All this should boil for a minute, then milk with black tea is already added.
When the drink boils, add nutmeg to it. 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 dish and try on an empty stomach in the morning without sugar.

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

philosophical meaning

It is no secret that the sharply continental climate of the highlands is harsh and cold, respectively, in order to even out the balance, there are many "warm" dishes in Tibetan cuisine. And the balance that guarantees good health is very important for Tibetans. After all, they think this way: the healthier a person is, the happier he is, and the more opportunities he has to bring benefit to all living beings. For the same reason, a long and happy life is perceived as a great blessing. It increases the chances of being freed from the world of mansara, the famous wheel of unconscious rebirths. No wonder the happiness and freedom of all living beings is the highest value in Buddhism.

main principles

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 and their impact on 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". Plus, food should be appropriate for the climate, season and time of day. How are these principles put into practice? Tibetans practically do not eat raw foods, and this circumstance is also due to the climate. Traditionally, steamers are used in Tibet, which allows better preservation of the beneficial properties of products. Steamed mo-mo, vegetables, rice, round tingmo buns. Mo-mo is a very popular national dish in Tibet. This is a kind of dumplings with a variety of fillings, but more often with yak meat or vegetables. From products of animal origin, meat, milk, oil from mountain yak milk are used. But the monks are mostly vegetarians. They eat vegetables and tsampa, a porridge made from wholemeal barley flour. Tsampa is a health food that promotes good health and high energy levels. Barley contains many important trace elements - magnesium, iron, selenium, copper, zinc, etc., as well as proteins, carbohydrates and dietary fiber in the correct ratio. The health benefits of tsampa are invaluable in the context of poor nutrition in Tibet.

From vegetables popular, for example, eggplant. They are believed to be good for the heart. Even in Tibet, mustard is grown, which has many useful properties, including it improves digestion. This spice is actively used in national cuisine, as well as in religious ceremonies. It is believed, for example, that its grains scare away evil spirits. Dairy products are often eaten. From yak milk, which is widespread everywhere, not only butter and cheese are prepared, but also a special curdled milk, or rather yogurt, it is called "sho". It is important to use it in the daytime, then it helps the body stock up on beneficial microflora and improve the digestive process. By the way, proper digestion is one of the keys to good health. For this reason, Tibetans avoid preservatives and incompatible foods. Following these principles, the Tibetans manage to keep themselves in shape: you rarely meet fat people here. Daikon, a special variety of radish, also promotes healthy digestion. It contributes to the good functioning of the stomach, liver and kidneys, helps to better digest foods. Pickled daikon is also common, sometimes with the addition of turmeric, a very useful spice that cleanses the blood well. It is only important to use daikon not at night, but during the active time of the day.

Tibetans do not eat before going to bed, because the food is not digested, and this, as we know, is not healthy.

drinking regimen

In the morning you need to drink on an empty stomach a mug of hot water at a comfortable temperature for drinking. This allows you to smoothly cheer up and raise the "fiery heat" of the stomach, which is responsible for the ability to digest food, increase overall tone and immunity.

Tea is prepared with milk, yak butter and salt, brewed according to a special technology. Tibetans drink a lot of this tea, it helps them maintain energy balance.

Norling Salad

You will need: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, champignons, tomato, green beans, champignons, black Tibetan mushrooms (or any that you have). We take these ingredients in approximately equal proportions. You will also need sesame oil and salt.

We wash vegetables, clean. Cut carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms.

After that, drain the water, season with sesame sauce (sesame oil and Tibetan salt to taste)

Arrange nicely on a plate.

Due to short cooking, vegetables in norling salad retain nutrients and vitamins. Suitable for lovers of healthy and tasty food.

Palak Paneer (Palak Spinach Dish with Homemade Cheese)

1 st. l. rast oil
garlic cloves
3 gr. fresh ginger
spices: zira, garam masala, coriander
5 gr. butter
1 fresh tomato
spinach 120 gr.
Adyghe cheese 100 gr.

Pour a tablespoon of vegetable oil into a preheated pan, put finely chopped garlic cloves and fresh ginger, cumin, fry until the garlic and ginger acquire a golden hue, add finely chopped onions, fry everything together again until golden brown, add tomato puree (mashed tomato without skin), fry a little more.

Grind spinach pre-boiled for about 3 minutes in a blender to a mushy state, add to the pan, mix, let it boil for about 5 minutes.

Add 5 gr. butter and spices, mix. The mixture should boil for about 15 minutes. When the oil rises to the top, we add the Adyghe cheese, cut into cubes, cream, salt, mix everything, put it on a plate, decorate with a sprig of cilantro.

Rice Briyani - pilaf with various fillings

We'll make bryani with vegetables. We will need:

vegetable mixture (any vegetables to taste) 150g.
basmati rice 200 gr., water for cooking
onion, ginger, garlic (optional)
chili pepper (optional)
tomato 1 pc.
natural yoghurt 1 tbsp. l.
spice mix for bryanya
vegetable oil 1 tbsp. l.
cashew 1 tbsp. l.
cilantro

Pour a little vegetable oil into a heated pan.

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

Then add separately cooked basmati rice (basmati is cooked for about 20 minutes), finely chopped fresh mint, salt to the resulting mixture, simmer over low heat for 10 minutes and you're done!

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

Bryani pilaf successfully sets off khir ka raita - cold soup on kefir. To prepare it, finely chop the cucumber, tomato and knead the vegetables into a salted kefir base.

Gya-Kok Family Soup

Family Tibetan chicken broth soup for several (4-5) people, served in a special heated tureen. But you can serve it in a regular pan.

This soup is prepared on holidays and after it, in the family circle, plans for the next year are discussed and good wishes are expressed. Traditionally, the elder pours the soup. So, we need:

chicken broth (it all depends on how many people you will be)
broccoli
carrot
cauliflower
Chinese cabbage
green beans
spinach
mushrooms (shiitake and champignons)
boiled chicken
boiled lamb
boiled shrimp
glass soy noodles
tofu cheese
pre-cooked omelet

In a boiling broth, lightly salted, vegetables and mushrooms are placed. All this is cooked for 4 minutes, then separately boiled chicken, lamb and shrimp are added. Boil for about 5 more minutes. Add glass soy noodles, cook for another 3 minutes over low heat. At the very end, finely chopped cubes of tofu cheese and an omelet cut into thin strips, pre-fried on both sides, are added. Soup can be prepared with spicy or non-spicy broth, if desired.

Tofu with vegetables in spicy sauce

We will need:

broccoli 40g
cauliflower 40g
carrots 35g
green beans 25g
Chinese cabbage 20g
tofu 40g
champignons 30g
vegetable oil 5g
ginger root 5g
water 50ml
hot sauce 5ml
corn starch 5g

frying ginger
Add vegetables (fry with ginger for 1-2 minutes)
Add water, salt, hot sauce all contents boil for 5-7 minutes
Add lightly fried tofu
Add corn starch and stir for a minute.

Put the finished dish on a plate.

Tibetan cuisine very different from its neighbors, as only a few crops (other than rice) grow at this altitude.

Tibetan recipes

National dishes of Tibet

Momo is a type of steamed dumpling.

Thenghuk is a type of soup often made in cold weather with noodles and various vegetables.

Meat dishes made from yak, goat, or lamb, which are often dried, or used to make spicy roasts 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 remotely related to the production of China or the island of Ceylon. A large handful of tea is crushed into boiling water and allowed to languish for 5-10 minutes, until the shade becomes almost black. At this stage, add a pinch of salt; Tibetans never put sugar in tea, only salt. They are said to sometimes add a bit of 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.
Pingjopo is rice wine.

National products of Tibet

Paley is a bread of central Tibet that is baked in a skillet rather than an oven.

The most important crop is barley. A dough of barley flour called tsampa is the main 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 has about 4000 years. It directly influenced the country's cuisine, firmly rooting many products and national dishes there.

Tibetans eat with chopsticks and spoons. Instruments common to Europeans are extremely rare. The profession of a cook or culinary specialist in Tibet is not considered prestigious. The truth deserves respect. It is said that men in this country cook much better than women. Despite this opinion, in an ordinary family, a woman “cooks” - 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 a sacred duty of a man.

Every eatery and restaurant in cities like Lhasa, Shigatse, Zedang is overflowing with Tibetan traditions and flavor. Attributes of culture hang on the walls, and in the menu you can find primordially 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 really flawlessly, because the Tibetans take the meal seriously. The table is decorated with beautiful drawings and ornaments that simply cannot be confused with anything else.

As you can easily guess, a person does not live in a single spiritual way, and in this article we will talk about food.

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

Tibetan cuisine differs from other oriental cuisine in moderation and balance. Tibetans do not abuse spices and spices. But they eat meat and vegetables in large quantities. Of the vegetables, the most popular are sweet peppers, carrots, cauliflower and 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, add onions, tomatoes, ginger, fried and served with bread or noodles.

Buddhism, as a mild and tolerant religion, does not provide for prohibitions on products, such as, for example, on pork in Islam. Everything is possible. But in Tibet they practically do not eat fruits and sweets. The only national dessert is brushwood with honey. Fish and seafood are not popular in Tibet, they simply do not exist there.

The meal ceremony usually looks like this: before sitting at the table, everyone says a prayer. A large dish is placed in the center, and everyone puts exactly as much on their plate as they can eat. Tibetans eat with chopsticks or a spoon. Tibetans practically do not drink alcohol, because it is not combined with prayer. The traditional drink of Tibet is the so-called "rice wine". To prepare this drink, boiled rice is taken, special spices are added to it, aged for a week, then it is defended, and as a result, a low-alcohol (five degrees) exotic drink is obtained. Otherwise, they drink everything the same as Western people - coffee, juices, mineral water. Special 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 the Tibetans is tsampa. It is made from barley flour, barley oil, tea or barley beer. The result is something like dough, some Tibetan peoples add a little barley flour to tea with butter and milk and get something like a very thin porridge, hearty and high-calorie. In large cities of Tibet, such as Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse, Tsetang, as well as in guest houses where tourists often stop for lunch, the food is varied, while in other places the menu is limited to momo and tukpa. Momo are similar to our dumplings stuffed with meat or vegetables. Tukpa - noodle soup with meat or vegetables. And some dishes of rice and vermicelli.

In principle, everyone can learn how to cook Tibetan dishes. But this is complicated by two things. First, there are no special cooking schools or recipe books in Tibet. The profession of a cook is usually passed down from father to son, along with all the culinary secrets. Secondly, they say that the taste of food prepared by a non-Tibetan, even if according to all the rules, is not at all what 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 cook better 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.